Skip to Content

HR Glossary of Terms

  • Change in the rate of pay for any reason that does not fall within other established reason codes.  This change becomes part of the employee's base salary rate.  Requires approval of the VPFSS.

  • The ADA, signed into law on July 26, 1990, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, programs and services provided by state and local governments, goods and services provided by private companies and in commercial facilities.

  • Bonus or lump sum payment for a consistent and high level of performance.

  • Temporary salary adjustment to a current employee's appointment.

  • A portion of salary that eligible individuals receive to replace the state-paid FICA.

  • A group of positions sufficiently similar in content of duties and responsibilities that the same university title is assigned to each position.

  • The assignment of a position to a job title.

  • All forms of financial returns and tangible services and benefits employees receive as part of an employment relationship.

  • Payment to non-exempt employees paid at the employee's regular hourly rate for hours worked in addition to normal duty hours (State comp time).

  • The individual who is assigned administrative responsibility for employees grouped in a departmental unit. This person also maintains all departmental budgets.

  • The individual assigned responsibility for helping supervisors and the department head monitor leave activity for employees in his or her departmental unit.

    • Base salary
    • Premium payments (overtime, longevity pay, hazardous duty, shift differential, on-call pay, benefit-replacement pay)
    • Contingent programs (achievement awards, merit pay, incentive pay)
  • A conduct directed at an individual because of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or sexual orientation that subjects the individual to treatment that adversely affects the individual’s employment or education.

  • Normally no earlier than the first day of the month following the month that a job audit was completed and approved by HR.

  • Faculty, Staff or Student based group.

  • Entry made to end a temporary salary adjustment made to a current employee's appointment.

  • The agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex(including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

  • A job not subject to the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • Federal legislation that sets the federal minimum wage, overtime pay, equal pay, record keeping and child labor standards for employees.

  • To reflect an increase or decrease in an employee's total FTE.

  • A listing of the duties,knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other requirements for the employee’s position.

  • Extreme or outrageous acts or communications that:

      a) are intended to harass, intimidate or humiliate students, faculty, staff or visitors on account of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or sexual orientation; and
      b) reasonably cause them to suffer severe emotional distress; or
      c) sexual harassment allege.
     
  • Payment to Commissioned Peace Officers in accordance with state policy.

    • Protection programs (social security, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, pension plans, health, dental, vision, life, accidental death and long-term disability insurance)
    • Paid leave, when employees are not at work (vacation, holidays, jury duty, sick leave, military leave, etc.)
  • Non-monetary rewards (work/life balance, alternative work schedules, on-the-job training, development opportunities, etc.).

  • Systematic study of jobs to identify the observable work activities, tasks and responsibilities associated with a particular job or group of jobs.

  • Identification number assigned to a designated job title.

  • An official, written description of a job, which includes information regarding the general nature of the work to be performed and specific responsibilities, duties and the knowledge, skill and abilities that are required to perform the critical functions of the job.

  • A specific name given to a particular job that is used in part to describe or summarize the job duties.

  • Leave of absence without pay or without loss of prior creditable service for reasonable lengths of time. The individual remains an employee of the institution but receives no pay.

  • A change in the rate of pay to correct a salary inequity or to compensate for changes in the labor market for an individual or a group.

  • The average wage for a worker in a specific position or occupation, which is determined by adding together the total wages for all incumbents in a specific position or occupation and then dividing it by the total number of incumbents.

  • The middle value in a series of values arranged in rank order.

  • Salary increase given to an employee whose job performance and productivity is consistently above that normally expected or required.  This increase becomes part of the employee's base salary rate.

  • A discretionary adjustment to individual salary based on performance.

  • For non-exempt/classified jobs, the middle point in the pay range.

  • An individual who has never worked at the institution before.

  • A job subject to the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • A real-time view of organizational structure; history of the structure as it evolves; ability to store reporting structure on a position level; ability to store security on a position level.

  • Current department or major unit within a department.

  • Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, working more than 40 hours in a workweek. Non-exempt employees must be paid at least one and a half times their normal wage rates or receive compensatory time for all hours worked in excess of 40 in any workweek.

  • A structure for classifying positions which provides a framework for the assignment of job codes, job titles, FLSA, EEO codes and salary ranges.

  • Legislatively mandated increase to employees with a specific evaluation rating.  This increase becomes part of the employee's base salary rate and is spread over the term of the appointment.

  • Institutionally awarded salary increase to employees with a specific evaluation rating. This increase becomes part of the employee's base salary rate and is spread over the term of the appointment.

  • Unique number assigned to each employee.  Replaced the use of the social security number.

  • Unique to an employee and position combination.  Identifies appointments within the same payroll area. Number used for completion of time entry.

  • Currently an electronic form submitted through the SAP Portal to support a pay action for staff, faculty and student employees.

  • Change a current employee to a job title/position which has a higher minimum base salary.

  • A change in the classification or job title as a result of a significant job duty change and subsequent audit and approval by HR.

  • Applies only to employees who have been terminated. An individual who returns to employment at the institution or agency after having terminated all employment with the institution or agency.  The employee must have a break in service from the institution of at least one workday.

  • The span from minimum to maximum that constitutes a pay or salary range established for a particular job. Only classified/non-exempt jobs have a salary range.

  • Monthly stipend for full-time staff to reward service with the State of Texas.

  • A payment to a current employee for a special assignment which meets both of the following conditions:   (1) The employee has a current FTE appointment (2) the duties performed are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Payment is for an additional assignment, duty or responsibility that is applicable only for the duration of the special assignment and is not part of the employee's base salary. The amount may be prorated over the term of the appointment or paid in a lump sum.

  • A payment to individual for a special assignment which meets both of the following conditions:  (1) the individual does not have a current FTE appointment. (2)  The duties performed are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. There is no percent time or set number of hours associated with the assignment, and the number of hours worked does not change the payment amount. The task must have a definite begin and end date; however it may be a short period of intense activity or an extended period of time with intermittent activity. Prior to submitting a PCR for payment, the hiring department must obtain approval from Human Resources to appoint an employee as a "task" worker (NSNR-TASK WORKER)

  • Change in an employee's position and job code to one which has the same or a lower minimum base salary.

  • Granted to regular status staff employees.  This 1.5% increase is given every two years up to a maximum of four such increases.  This increase becomes part of the employee’s base salary.  Staff employees in positions covered by departmental career ladders are not eligible for the University Longevity Program.