Note: This question is the third in a series that includes #598, #600, and #602.

In response to Delphi Question #600, Bob Roesch wrote: "If you believe you have evidence of discrimination or if you have concerns that you may be a victim of discrimination, you should not hesitate to bring this to the attention of your Human Resources representative or to me personally."

Now that the salary information is no longer available, how are we going to know if there are discriminatory practices in regards to pay?

Bob also wrote: "The publication of salaries was never intended to serve as, or did it server as, a means of promoting salary equity." I know for a fact that in the past the open access to salary information has been used to identify and rectify inequities.

I would also like to point out that the salaries of our elected officials, our military personnel, and federal employees (NOAA, NASA, etc.) are published. What makes UCAR/NCAR employee salary information different than others whose wages are primarily paid with taxpayer money?

Answered on December 17, 2008

There are other mechanisms in place to regularly monitor the equity of salaries at UCAR. When salary recommendations are made by management, either because of a new hire or a reclassification, the salaries of all employees in that same job group are reviewed for equity by HR. When pay differences within a job group cannot be explained due to obvious reasons, HR works with the divisions and labs to obtain more information as to individual performance, specific skills, level of expertise, variations in duties, length of service, and any other factors that impact pay within the range. Members of the President's Council can and have been consulted and the facts presented to them for their opinions.

In cases where true inequities are found, which are very rare, the pay of affected employees is adjusted. During a federal audit of all UCAR jobs we had one audit finding out of more than 1,200 jobs, and the that finding only dealt with the timing of an increase due to the promotional cycle of Scientists. In addition to salaries being reviewed during hires or reclassifications, all pay is reviewed and salary levels and raises analyzed to ensure equity during our merit increase cycle. The result of this analysis is presented to the President's Council and to the Personnel Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Your supervisor is your first contact for any issue you may have concerning equitable treatment under any UCAR policy, including pay. Supervisors and administrators routinely talk to HR about pay issues. Our experience is that supervisors and administrators are very supportive of employees and are the best people to talk to about your concerns. In the rare cases when employees feel they cannot talk with these individuals, or that their concerns have not been heard, please contact HR.

In terms of legal issues surrounding disclosure, by law the federal government is required to disclose all federal employees' pay. Many states and local governments also required to disclose employee pay. UCAR is a private corporation, and not covered by these laws.

Bob Roesch
Director of Human Resources