Planned salary increase for staff covered by policy and appointed faculty, update on staff pay equity plan

Every day, UC Santa Cruz staff and faculty members support and pursue our mission, increase our impact, and support the success of our students. It is impossible to achieve our goals without a dedicated staff and a community of faculty who support our progress towards building an inclusive and resilient university centered on student success and world-class research.

We are pleased to announce that all eligible employees covered by the policy will receive a 4.5% salary increase, and Senate faculty and policy-appointed faculty will receive a 4% salary increase, pending approval of the state budget. While the UC President’s Office does not anticipate a change, in the event that current budget expectations change, President Drake will provide an updated announcement at that time.

The wage increases take effect July 1, 2022 for employees paid monthly and June 26, 2022 for employees paid bi-weekly. Monthly employees should see the August 1, 2022 salary increases, and bi-weekly employees should see the July 20, 2022 salary increase.

For faculty, the salary increase will take effect October 1, 2022 and will be reflected on the November 1, 2022 pay check. More information on the campus academic salary program, including a pay equity program academic, will soon be available.

Our staff and faculty members have done an incredible job over the past year, and we are thrilled to have them recognized in this way. More details regarding eligibility and any updates to payment dates will be communicated as details become available.

Employee Equity Program Update
This salary increase is in addition to the $5.5 million allocated under our three-year workforce equity program that we implemented earlier this academic year. Our three-year program is designed to target employees with the most below-market salaries and primarily affects lower-wage employees.

In the first year of the program, the campus invested $2.5 million, which increased the salaries of more than 1,300 employees covered by the policy, with 71% of the funds going to employees who were at the level or below the 25th percentile. Salary increases ranged from less than 1% to 6%, with an average increase of 2.46% translating into an average annual salary increase of $1,841.

In year two of the workforce equity program, we will invest an additional $1.5 million. Pay levels for staff covered by the policy will be reviewed in the fall so increases can be implemented in early 2023.

We deeply appreciate the contributions of our staff and faculty, and hope that our focus on fair compensation will make UC Santa Cruz an even better place to work.