Equity Adjustment Plan for Policy-Covered (non-represented) Staff
UC ANR is implementing a targeted equity program for policy-covered career and contract staff to ensure our compensation remains fair, competitive, and sustainable. As you are aware, President Milliken authorized a 4% across-the-board pay increase for all policy-covered personnel effective July 1, 2026. In addition, he authorized an optional supplemental salary program to address any urgent and emerging pay discrepancies.
To ensure this optional program was data-driven, we evaluated compensation trends and employee engagement metrics, including the ANR@Work survey, feedback from Staff Assembly and Unit Leaders, and current recruitment and retention data. Using the UC compensation framework, we have organized the program into five strategic categories to address specific needs:
- Internal Equity: Aligning pay across employee groups and UC campus partners.
- Salary Compression: Resolving gaps between supervisors and direct reports, and between tenured staff and new hires.
- Union Rate Alignment: Providing support for our confidential employees.
- Market Pay Floor: Establishing a competitive baseline hourly rate for eligible roles.
Eligibility & Timeline: Eligible employees include career staff past probation and contract staff with more than one year of UC service, and all must have a performance rating of "Meets Expectations" or higher. Please refer to the attached FAQs for the additional specific criteria associated with each of the five adjustment categories.
- Adjustments for biweekly (BW) employees will be effective November 08, reflected in the December 02 paycheck.
- Adjustments for monthly (MO) employees will be effective November 01, reflected in the December 01 paycheck.
- Eligible employees will receive a letter from their respective supervisors by November 13.
We are committed to a compensation model that supports our staff and allows us to continue recruiting and retaining the highest quality talent. Thank you for your continued contributions to UC ANR.
Policy Covered Staff Equity Adjustment Plan Eligibility Criteria & FAQ's
What is the purpose of the Staff Equity Adjustment Plan?
The program is designed to ensure our compensation is fair, competitive, and sustainable. It addresses urgent pay discrepancies to improve employee morale and organizational stability.
How were the adjustment amounts determined?
We used the Career Tracks compensation framework, which allows us to compare our pay to local markets and address discrepancies consistently and transparently across the organization.
What is the program criteria?
Category | Adjustment / Rate | Specific Eligibility |
| General Internal Equity | 1% | • Career Employees: Must be past the probationary period. • Contract Employees: Must have more than one (1) year of UC service with no break prior to joining UC ANR. • Performance: Most recent performance rating must be "Meets Expectations" or higher. |
| Salary Compression | 1% | • Career Employees: Must be past the probationary period. • Contract Employees: Must have more than one (1) year of UC service with no break prior to joining UC ANR. • Performance: Most recent performance rating must be "Meets Expectations" or higher. • Must be in a Supervisor 1 title with direct reports |
| HEERA Support | 1% | • Career Employees: Must be past the probationary period. • Contract Employees: Must have more than one (1) year of UC service with no break prior to joining UC ANR. • Performance: Most recent performance rating must be "Meets Expectations" or higher. • Must be identified in a confidential or supervisory position per HEERA regulations |
| Market Pay Floor | Min. $25.00/hr | • Career Employees: Must be past the probationary period. • Contract Employees: Must have more than one (1) year of UC service. • Performance: Most recent performance rating must be "Meets Expectations" or higher. • Must be below $25.00 an hour after the previous criteria are evaluated and any adjustments made. |
Eligibility Considerations:
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When will I know if I am receiving an adjustment?
Supervisors will be providing notification letters to eligible employees by November 13.
When will the increase appear in my pay?
Adjustments will be reflected in the December 01 (MO) or December 02 (BW) paychecks.
What do employees and/or supervisors need to do to be included in this program?
All non-represented, policy covered employees are included in the program review; supervisors and employees do not need to take any additional steps to be considered.
Does this equity adjustment replace my annual increase?
No. This program is in addition to the annual general increase program.
What is a "Market Pay Floor"?
To ensure our compensation is competitive, we have established a minimum pay rate of $25.00/hour for eligible employees.
If I qualify for the Market Pay Floor ($25/hr), will I still get the Across-the-Board (1%) or other equity increases?
All eligible equity adjustments (such as General Internal Equity, Compression, or Strategic Retention) will be applied first. If, after those increases, your pay is still below $25.00 per hour, the Market Pay Floor adjustment will then be applied to bring your rate up to the $25.00 minimum. The $25 floor acts as a final guarantee to ensure no one in these eligible roles falls below that competitive market baseline.
What is the sequence of the adjustments: To ensure maximum benefit to our employees, adjustments are applied in the following order:
- Targeted Adjustments: All eligible percentage-based increases (Internal Equity, Compression, HEERA, and Strategic Retention) are calculated and applied to the base pay first.
- Market Floor Evaluation: After the above adjustments are applied, the resulting rate is compared to the Market Pay Floor. If the rate is still below $25.00 per hour, it will be adjusted upward to meet that minimum.
What if I believe I should be eligible based on the criteria but did not get a letter, what should I do?
Please discuss this with your supervisor, who can then coordinate with HR to review the UCPath and the eligibility data.
Represented Staff
If you are represented by a union, we are excited to share the positive news that all UC ANR collective bargaining agreements are signed and in place; meaning covered employees have contract-driven pay increases for the duration of their agreements. Please review your appropriate collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for additional information.