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Summary

Recruiting, hiring, and retaining high-performing individuals is vital to achieving the mission and goals of the University. Hiring and retention incentives are compensation tools available to attract and/or retain benefit-eligible academic and administrative, service, and support employees.

If any part of this policy does not reflect the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR), the provisions of the CRR will govern.

HR Policy Provisions

1. Policy
   
   1. Hiring and retention incentives are compensation strategies utilized for approved University positions, including but not limited to hard-to-fill and/or high-demand positions, as well as top-performing employees when it is in the university’s best interest.
   2. Incentive payments may include one or more payments, which shall not exceed one-half of the employee's annual base salary in the aggregate. Departments may limit incentives to less than the maximum amount allowed by policy.
   3. Incentives are separate from and in addition to any payments that may be authorized for moving allowance.
   4. Although the University does not intend to monitor or inquire how employees who receive hiring or retention incentives spend that money, considerations for approval of such incentives include, without limitation, student loan or fellowship repayments, and temporary loss of income by a spouse or Sponsored Adult Dependent, etc.
2. Authorizations
   
   1. Before making a hiring or retention incentive offer, the incentive must be authorized by the President, Vice President for Human Resources, Chancellor, or Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs (or their delegates). Incentives are not an entitlement and will not be authorized in all circumstances.
   2. The President, Vice President for Human Resources, Chancellor, or Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs may authorize payments in excess of one-half of the employee’s base annual salary if there are compelling special circumstances or for special programs that have been pre-approved by one of these same individuals.
   3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the two preceding paragraphs, such payments must be approved in accordance with the provisions of section 320.020 and section 320.030 of the Collected Rules and Regulations, if applicable.
3. Repayment Agreement
   
   1. As a prerequisite of receiving an incentive, new and current employees must sign an agreement which stipulates that part or all of the payment(s) is contingent upon continuing employment with the University for at least two years  
   2. Repayment of the incentive shall be in accordance with the following schedule, unless an alternative schedule is authorized by the President, Vice President for Human Resources, Chancellor, or Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs:
      

      Full Months Employed	Amount Returned
      0-5	100%
      6-11	75%
      12-17	50%
      18-23	25%

   3. Nothing in the Agreement may remove or alter the at-will employment for administrative, service and support positions or extend the term appointment for Academic Appointments beyond the stated ending date thereof.
4. Procedures
   
   1. Each university or business unit is individually responsible for determining the method by which requests for authorization are approved.
   2. Funds for hiring incentive payments are the responsibility of the employing department(s).
   3. Approved incentives will be paid as follows:
      • Hiring incentives are paid after the employee’s effective date of hire with the ÎçÒ¹Ó°Ôº, on the next regular payroll cycle after receiving the signed agreement, or in the case of multiple payments, as identified in the agreement.
      • Retention incentives are paid on the next regular payroll cycle after receiving the signed agreement.
   4. In accordance with University and Internal Revenue Service regulations, all payments are taxable compensation subject to withholding and other appropriate deductions (e.g., taxes and retirement plan deductions) and is reported to the IRS as part of the employee's total compensation.

See Also

CRR 320.020: President’s Authority
CRR 320.030: Delegation of Authority
UM 271B Hiring Incentive Payment Agreement

Date Created: 09/26/1997
Last Updated: 09/01/2004; 07/01/2005; 08/01/2011; 10/15/2013; 06/15/2023