Compensation

Compensation is additional pay or extra vacation time provided to an employee for additional labor, length of service, and exceptional service.

Longevity Pay

Eligible employees are entitled to longevity pay at the rate of $20.00 per month for each two (2) years of lifetime service credit, up to a maximum of forty-two (42) years of service which pays $420 per month. An employee’s status at the beginning of the month determines the longevity pay for that month.

Eligibility. Longevity pay is limited to regular full-time, non-academic employees who are not eligible for hazardous duty pay.

Hazardous Pay

Eligible employees are entitled to hazardous duty pay of $10 per month for each 12-month period of hazardous duty lifetime service credit. The calculation of hazardous duty pay is based upon the total number of eligible years worked in a position requiring state hazardous duty.

Eligibility. All commissioned law enforcement personnel including all law enforcement officers of state higher education institutions and certain non-student security officers are eligible for hazardous duty pay.

Increasing Vacation Time Accrual

After two years of state employment, employees earn additional hours of vacation time each month.

Eligibility. Staff employees and faculty with twelve-month appointments (such as deans, chairs, or directors of academic departments).

Personal Time Off
Questions about your specific paycheck and/or vacation time?

Payroll

Overtime Pay

Additional pay for working more than 40 hours in a defined workweek (Sunday 12:01am until Saturday 12:00 midnight). Pay is calculated at time-and-a-half salary.

Eligibility. Non-exempt positions and should be approved in advance by their supervisor.

Equivalent Compensatory Hours

When a nonexempt employee takes leave or when a holiday occurs, the nonexempt employee is eligible for state compensatory time if the total number of hours worked (if less than 40 hours) plus any paid leave or paid holidays exceeds 40 in one workweek. If this occurs, the nonexempt employee must be allowed state compensatory time off for this additional time on an hour-for-hour basis. The state compensatory time off must be used within 12 months of the end of the workweek in which it was earned or it lapses.

Eligibility. Non-exempt positions and should be approved in advance by their supervisor.

Special Duty Pay

Extra duty pay and/or a pay differential for certain tasks that are not a part of their regular duty assignment. Pay may be distributed as reoccurring payments over time with a stipend or paid all at once. These tasks are usually temporary, occasional, sporadic and/or for special duties.

  • Temporary Assignment

    To facilitate the work of the University during emergencies or other special circumstances, an employee may be assigned temporarily to other duties for a period, usually not to exceed six (6) months, and during that time, may receive the appropriate rate of pay for the temporary assignment.

  • Extra Duty

    This is for services performed outside the regular duty assignment such as professional services explained in Academic Policy Statement 940202, Payments to University employees for services, and for non-related regular duty tasks such as but not limited to score keeping, test proctoring, ushering, etc.

  • Pay Differential

    A pay differential is a rate added to an employee’s regular rate of pay for services performed during their regular duty schedule that is not required in their regular duty assignments. Usually, the pay differential is for only the time spent on the special assignment. An example of a special duty assignment could be asbestos abatement.

  • Standby and Call in Duty

    This is an agreed upon amount of pay for such services performed as explained in the SHSU Finance & Operations Human Resources Policy ER-3, Work Schedules and Employee Compensation, item number 10.

Eligibility. Non-exempt position and should be approved in advance by their supervisor.

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Staff Excellence Award

Nomination based award in which four recipients, including two exempt and two non-exempt staff employees, are selected. These nominations give full-time faculty members and employees the chance to show their appreciation for outstanding staff who have demonstrated excellence during their time here at Sam Houston State University.

Eligibility. Be a full-time, non-temporary staff member (non-faculty with a minimum of two years of service at time of nomination)

  • Show meritorious performance
  • Display proven commitment to excellence in service
  • Excel in their job
  • Demonstrate outstanding abilities, innovative ideas, efficient operations, high level of motivation
  • Be respected by the University community
  • Cannot have been a previous recipient

Nominate Previous Recipients

Merit

As a result of the annual performance appraisal, the supervisor may recommend a merit pay increase when, in the supervisor’s judgment, performance is meritorious and exceeds minimum standards based on specific, objective, measurable, and consistently applied criteria. To be eligible for a merit increase, the employee must be employed at least six (6) months and not have received a merit increase for at least six (6) months. Merit pay increases are included in the budget and become effective on the 1st of September. The University determines availability of staff merit pay increases annually. Divisional Vice Presidents provide Deans/Directors and Department Heads with direction for awarding merit increases.

Six-Month Pay Adjustment

New employees (external hires with either no prior SHSU employment history or 30 day break in service as defined by the State) may, at the discretion of the supervisor, receive a six-month pay adjustment, not to exceed 6%, upon completing six months of service. It will be the responsibility of the supervisor to evaluate the employee’s performance, complete a Six-Month Review in the Talent Management system and process the six-month pay adjustment at a time as near as possible to the completion of six months in the new job. The amount of adjustment is based on the progress the employee has made in successfully fulfilling the requirements of the job and for outstanding performance.

Seniority Merit Pay

Seniority merit pay allows employees with a minimum of ten years of service at SHSU that have reached the maximum pay level for the current job classification to receive a merit pay increase for meritorious service.

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Nonexempt employees are entitled to be paid while traveling to other locations to conduct University business, minus regular commute time. Purposes for such travel include, among others, attending conferences and participating in professional meetings in other cities away from the employee’s normal worksite location. Travel time with an overnight stay is handled differently than travel time that occurs in the same day, in accordance with federal law.

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  • Travel Time With an Overnight Stay

    Travel that keeps a nonexempt employee away from home overnight is counted as hours worked if the employee travels during normal duty hours or corresponding hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Travel time that occurs outside of normal duty hours will not be considered working time, unless actual work is being performed during that time.

    Example #1: An employee who normally works Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. travels on University business between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday on a trip that includes an overnight stay. The travel that occurs between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. is considered working time.

    Example #2: An employee who normally works Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. travels on University business between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday on a trip that includes an overnight stay. The travel that occurs between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. is considered working time and the travel time between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. is considered non-working time if the employee is traveling as a passenger. If the employee is driving, all time is considered working time.

    Example #3: An employee who normally works Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. has travel time that occurs after 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday (which would not typically be considered working time), but during that travel the employee is using a laptop computer to complete a required work-related project or respond to work-related emails. The travel that occurs after 5:00 p.m. is considered working time, but only because the employee was actually performing work.

    Note that in all examples above, a supervisor may adjust the nonexempt employee’s schedule for the remainder of the workweek to avoid the accrual of overtime or compensatory time.

  • Travel Time Without an Overnight Stay

    Travel performed both during and outside normal duty hours in association with a one-day assignment in another city that does not require the nonexempt employee to stay overnight is counted as hours worked.

    Example: An employee who departs on a trip to another city for a one-day assignment at 7:00 a.m. and arrives back from that trip at 6:00 p.m. will be paid for all hours of travel and work. Time that will not be considered working time in this scenario would be regular commute time, appropriate time for lunch, and other time not considered to be work-related (sightseeing, shopping for personal items, etc.).

Travel time should be discussed with nonexempt employees in advance of making travel arrangements.