Discretionary Compensation Adjustments (DCA)
Award Criteria & Request Procedures
The Discretionary Compensation Adjustment (DCA) allows UW Oshkosh the discretion to provide broadbanded represented employees and non-represented employees economic recognition for merit, significant and permanent changes in job duties, increased competencies, or to address pay equity or retention needs. Any questions on the following criteria and request procedures should be addressed to the Human Resources Office at 424-1166.
A. DCA Criteria for Non-represented Employees:
1. New Duties: The employee has new duties that have been newly assigned or were an evolution of the originally assigned functions. The duties are permanent, and are of a greater scope, impact, and/or complexity compared to the previous functions.
Examples:
- Responsibility for new or significantly changing technology implementation
- Implemented processes for new services
- Demonstrated increased ability to lead others into future technology
- Risk factor of the new duty or project is more visible or has a greater impact on the unit, division, or University
2. Increased Significant Competencies: Demonstrates increased and significant competencies which are directly related to the permanent assignment (this category may not be used for those employees covered by the WPEC bargaining agreement).
Examples:
- Application of expanded technical skills gained through additional training or experience
- Demonstrated competencies in specific skills that are of value to an organization to meet a critical need beyond those normally expected for the position
- Developed and implemented a plan which significantly reduced costs for product/service delivery
3. Merit/Performance: Employee has sustained a high level of performance and the expectation is taht it will continue (this category may not be used for any employees covered by a labor agreement with broad banding).
Examples:
- Participated and cooperated in cross-functional efforts to accomplish a specific assignment related to the strategic goals of the organization
- Completed a complex project in an exceptional manner
4. Pay Equity: Based on a pay equity analysis, awards may be granted for unique circumstances, retention, to assist in resolution of pay inequities. Pay equity awards may also include pay inequities between supervisors and subordinates or between peers with similar experience, qualifications, and duties and at the same level of efficiency. Pay inequities that result from intentional actions should not necessarily be considered an equity problem. In the justification the supervisor must include the wages of the employee(s) to whom comparison was made and the agency(ies) where the comparable work is performed (specific equity data needs to be provided).
5. Retention/Market Influences: Skill sets an employee utilizes are in high demand in other organizations (private and/or public) requiring an adjustment to be made for retention strategies (market data must be provided to illustrate this fact.)
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Each department/unit will pay for approved DCAs for their employees. |
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UW Oshkosh can approve a 2-step DCA in any fiscal year, while steps 3 and 4 in any fiscal year must be approved by OSER. Employees are restricted to four within pay range steps per fiscal year. |
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A DCA can either be added to the salary base or be given in a lump sum. |
B. Certain represented classified employees in a broad-banded classification can be considered for a DCA under #1, 4, 5 above (WPEC, Science).
C. Process for Requesting a DCA:
- DCA requests will be accepted by the Human Resource Office on April 1 and October 1 of each year.
- The immediate supervisor completes appropriate form (represented or non-represented), signs and dates the form and sends it, with appropriate back-up information (see below), to the next higher level in chain of command.
- The Division Director/Administrator will review and make the final recommendation to Human Resources. The Chancellor’s Staff, after reviewing materials submitted, and reviewing the market and equity impact at UW Oshkosh, will make the final decision.
- If approved, DCAs become effective the first day of the first pay period following receipt by Human Resources.
- Distribution: original to employee’s personnel file/payroll; copy to employee with congratulatory letter from HR Director; copy to UW System for quarterly DCA report; copy maintained in FY DCA records file in HR.
D. Materials requested: To request a DCA the supervisor and employee will compile the materials listed below and forward them through the organization to the division director/administrator:
| Document |
Responsible Party |
| 1. A department and division organizational chart |
Supervisor |
| 2. Copies of the most recent performance evaluation (done within the last two years) |
Supervisor |
| 3. Current position description (not more than one year old) |
Supervisor |
| 4. Examples of work that support the DCA request |
Supervisor & Employee |
| 5. History of other special salary adjustments already awarded employee |
Supervisor |
6. Market Evidence-provide rationale for DCA request*
- Salary studies
- Professional organization data
- College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) data
- Campus comparisons
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Supervisor & Employee (may contact Human Resources for salary information) |
| 7. If the DCA is being requested for retention, when an employee has been made a formal job offer from an employer other than UW Oshkosh, the supervisor's comments should include the job offer, what he/she would like to use as a counter-offer and whatever other information would support the request. |
8. Complete the DCA Request Form
DCA Request Form for Represented and Non-Represented Employees 
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*Sites to find labor market data:
http://worknet.wisconsin.gov/worknet/ (The Dept. of Work Force Development – WI state labor market information) This website contains information for all counties, municipalities and regions in the State of Wisconsin. Information is by employment categories. Some common categories in border communities will have adjacent state information as well and this is identified in the data. Information is typically from two years past.
http://www.bls.gov (US Dept of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics) This is a vast site full of information on practically everything relating to employment in the United States. Examples are: average wages by job category, region, state, city, county; consumer spending patterns; earnings including benefits + salary + profit sharing + travel expenses, etc.; employment trends; collective bargaining information and much more. Some data is current. State and regional data can be older.
http://salary.Monster.com (Monster.com – free internet reference site) Popular commercial site. Has the most up-to-date salary information by city, state, region or employment category. Job categories, however, don’t always match up well to civil service classifications and rural areas have to use regional information.
(Revised 3/28/07)
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