Administrative Staff Compensation & Benefits

Every year, the Personnel, Welfare and Compensation committee drafts a Compensation and Benefits Request and submits it to University senior leadership for consideration. 

This request includes an analysis of the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI), a review of administrative staff accomplishments, compensation increase requests based on the CPI review and accomplishments, benefit change requests and other requests that could make up the overall compensation and benefits package for the following fiscal year. 

This process is one that Administrative Staff Council has been doing for over a decade; however, we realize this fact is widely unknown to members outside of those serving on the council.

So in an effort to be more transparent, we have made shifts in this process. Additional improvements to this request process will be implemented next year and beyond. We will do this by collecting your feedback about the current request and the University’s response later this spring.

You can submit feedback by emailing asc@bgsu.edu at any time. 

2022-23 Benefits & Morale Survey Results

In October 2022, a survey was conducted at the general ASC meeting and 150 staff members completed it. You can find a public reivew of the data we collected in our online presentation and a comparison of the results that we received in October 2021 at the end of the document. 

FY23 COMPENSATION & BENEFITS REQUEST

Submitted on Feb. 22, 2022

Letter to Leadership

TO: Sherideen Stoll, C.P.A., Chief Financial Officer
CC: Viva McCarver, Chief Human Resources Officer
Rodney Rogers, Ph.D., President
Joe Whitehead, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Provost

FROM: Administrative Staff Council
DATE: Feb. 22, 2022

SUBJECT: Administrative Staff Compensation Request FY23

The Administrative Staff Council (ASC), and over 800 constituents it represents, takes very seriously its role to advance the mission of Bowling Green State University. In return, we ask for the University to consider the valuable contributions of all its employees, including administrative staff members, in reviewing this request.

This request is founded out of our devotion for our students and our commitment to BGSU. We know BGSU is changing lives and we are proud to be an integral part of the good service the University provides to the public. We thank you for your commitment to a review of our request and consideration.

Included in this request:

Respectfully,

Victor Senn, ASC Chair
Stephanie Savoy Brinkman, ASC Chair-Elect
The Personnel/Welfare & Compensation Committee

Compensation Request

4% salary increase across the board to move salaries closer to the 2021 Consumer Price Index increase.

We have focused our FY23 compensation request on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases to ensure administrative staff can keep up with their rising living expenses. 

The 2021 Consumer Price Index saw an increase of 7% from December 2020 to December 2021. This is the largest 12-month increase since 1982 and administrative staff are feeling the effects of this every day.

Last year, administrative staff salary increases were 1.6% below the CPI, compared to the previous three-year total. This year, the total salary increase over the past three years is 6.2% below the CPI.

Taking into account this compensation deficit, the FY21 gratitude pay and recognizing that the University is also impacted by the same inflation, we are only requesting a 4% salary increase for FY23.

Benefit Request

We created a survey and sampled a small group of administrative staff to assess what is important to them as it relates to compensation and benefits. The responses have been shared with Senior Leadership, and the University has taken some steps to implement them. To further align ASC and our role with representing administrative staff, we have appointed individuals from the ASC Personnel Welfare & Compensation sub-committee to PACHWI. We appreciate the steps that have been taken and are submitting the following prioritized requests.

  1. BGSU will continue to have limited operations and will be closed for the majority of our staff members the last five typically scheduled workdays of the calendar year. The days will be paid time off for employees. For those staff members whose duties do not accommodate this winter break time-off, they may work with their supervisors to take alternate five days off by June 30.
  2. Option to cover spousal healthcare regardless of employment status.
  3. Provide additional mental health sessions/options. Increased coverage for mental health sessions and increased options for providers.
  4. Increase life insurance benefit to 2.5x base pay up to $300K. Other state institutions in Ohio currently are offering, and we are requesting to be competitive with similar institutions.
  5. Provide additional medical benefits. To include trans health (i.e. gender affirming treatment) and fertility/infertility treatments be included in our insurance coverage.
  6. Increase the maximum coverage for dental and orthodontic expenses.
  7. Regular meetings with benefit providers. We are requesting to be better informed of benefits available and support in accessing benefits.
  8. 16 free experiences at the rec center per semester. This benefit was indicated in the administrative staff survey.
  9. Continued weekly meal swipes for ALL BGSU dining services facilities, including Firelands campus.
  10. Continued ability to make a choice of medical benefits to include both a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Health Savings Account (HSA) option. An affordable PPO option, which does not reduce benefits or coverage nor has substantial increases in the employee’s cost share, co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses, and/or deductibles.
  11. $500 for Plan B (individual) and $1,000 for Plan B (family) annually into the employee’s health savings account. If it is expected that Employee Healthcare contributions will increase, we request that the university contribution is increased proportionally to ensure the same amount of support.

 

Annual Request Comparison FY10-FY23

To provide additional justification for this request and future requests, we are providing Administrative Staff the following information so you can understand what has been requested through this process over the years and can compare it to what was actually approved by leadership.

Administrative Staff Council uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to compare cost of living increases to our annual salary increases. Historical CPI reports can be located on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

Unfortunately, historical records are missing but we have included everything we have access to at this time. 

Takeaways from this report

FY11-FY22
  • Over the past 3 years, the CPI has increased 14.9% and Administrative Staff salaries have increased by 5.25% (9.65%)
  • Over the past 5 years, the CPI has increased 19.1% and Administrative Staff salaries have increased by 9.25%. (9.85% below CPI)
  • Over the past 10 years, the CPI has increased 28.5% and Administrative Staff salaries have increased by 20.75%. (7.75% below CPI)
  • Over the past 13 years, the CPI has increased 32.7% and Administrative Staff salaries have increased by 23%. (9.7% below CPI)
  • The following report does not take into account the rising cost of insurance premiums over the years.
YEAR ASC REQUST SUBITTED INCREASE GRANTED CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
FY24 TBD Wage increases are traditionally approved at the June Board of Trustees meeting. CPI for 2023 will be published in January 2024
FY23

4% salary increase across the board to move salaries closer to the 2021 Consumer Price Index increase. 

 2.75% salary adjustment and:
  • Three additional PTO days were granted provided Dec. 28-30 – which added 1.25% to administrative staff's time-off benefit.
  • No Gratitude Pay
 6.5%
FY22

2.3% salary increase across the board to match 2019 Consumer Price Index increase.

An additional 1.4 % salary increase across the board to match the 2020 Consumer Price Index increase.

If both cost of living increases we are requesting are not approved for FY22, the University will enact a formal, written plan that will proactively increase administrative staff’s wages over the next three years by 4%. Review the full FY22 Request

2.5% salary adjustment and:

  • April 2021 Gratitude Pay
    • $1000 | For salaries $74,999 or less.
    • $500 | For salaries $75,000-$175,000.
  • December 2021 Gratitude Pay
    • $1000 | For salaries $75,000 or less.
    • $750 | For salaries $75,001-$170,000.
  • Four additional PTO days were provided (Dec. 28-31) – which added 1.5% to administrative staff's time-off benefit.
 7.0%
FY21

2.3% salary increase across the board to match 2019 Consumer Price Index increase.

An additional 1% merit pool for division leaders to disseminate to administrative staff who exceed expectations in their roles.

0% Salary Adjustment

  • Four additional PTO days were provided (Dec. 28-31) – which added 1.5% to administrative staff's time-off benefit.
 1.4%
FY20 3% across the board and 1% pooled raise. – “Allocate to administrative staff members who go above and beyond to advance the mission of BGSU as a public university for the public good. May also be used for more tenured administrative staff to move them closer to the control point established for their respective pay grade.” 2% 2.3%
FY19 “We request a 3% across the board raise. We additionally request $1,000 added to every Administrative Staff employee’s base salary or up to the employee's pay grade midpoint to address income inequality.” 2% 1.9%
FY18

“We request a 4 % merit increase to every BGSU Administrative Staff employee’s base salary. We have received raises, on average, below inflation, and were required furloughs to assist the University in times of financial need.”

 2% 2.1%
FY17 No request on record. 2.5% 1.4%
FY16 No request on record. 2% -0.1%
FY15 No request on record. 1% 1.5%
FY14

“A minimum salary increases of 3% is requested for FY13 and bring all administrative staff currently between the minimum of their salary range but below the control point to the control point for that range.”

 2% 1.6%
FY13 No request on record. 2% 2.9%
FY12 4% across the board, flat $2,000 raise to make up for furloughs and increase healthcare costs – “Requesting a raise consistent with Faculty and Classified Staff” 1.25% 1.6%
FY11 3% across the board (consistent with faculty and classified staff), $1,500 flat raise. 1% 2.6%

Updated: 03/02/2023 01:12PM