Wis. Stat. § 230.12 — WI Code / Chapter 230 / Section 230.12
Compensation.
Status: in_force

(1) Compensation plan.

(a) General provision.

1. The compensation plan consists of both of the following:

a. The dollar values of the pay rates and ranges and the within range pay steps of the separate pay schedules to which the classes and grade levels for positions in the classified service established under the classification plan are assigned.

b. The provisions governing the pay of all unclassified positions except positions for employees of the legislature who are not identified under s. 20.923 (4) , for employees of a service agency under subch. IV of ch. 13 , for employees of the state court system, for employees of the investment board identified under s. 230.08 (2) (p) , for one stenographer employed by each elective executive officer, except the secretary of state and the state treasurer, under s. 230.08 (2) (g) , for 3 sales representatives of prison industries and one sales manager of prison industries identified under s. 303.01 (10) , and for sales and development professional of the historical society employed under s. 44.20 (4) (a) .

2. In addition, the compensation plan may, when applicable, include provisions for supplemental pay and pay adjustments, and other provisions required to implement the plan or amendments thereto.

3. Provisions for administration of the compensation plan and salary transactions shall be provided, as determined by the administrator, in either the rules of the administrator or the compensation plan.

(b) Schedules. The several separate pay schedules may incorporate different wage and salary administration features. Each schedule shall provide for pay ranges or pay rates and applicable methods and frequency of within range pay adjustments based on such considerations as competitive practice, appropriate principles and techniques of wage and salary administration and determination, elimination of pay inequities based on gender or race, and the needs of the service. Not limited by enumeration, such considerations for establishment of pay rates and ranges and applicable within range pay adjustments may include provisions prevalent in schedules used in other public and private employment, professional or advanced training, recognized expertise, or any other criteria which assures state employee compensation is set on an equitable basis.

(bf) Legislative action. Provisions of the compensation plan that the joint committee on employment relations approves which require legislative action for implementation, such as changes in fringe benefits and any proposed amendments, deletions or additions to existing law, shall be introduced by the committee in a bill or companion bills, to be put on the calendar. The bill or companion bills are not subject to ss. 13.093 (1) , 13.50 (6) (a) and (b) and 16.47 (2) . The committee may, however, submit suitable portions of the bill or companion bills to appropriate legislative committees for advisory recommendations on the proposed changes. The committee shall accompany the introduction of such proposed legislation with a message that informs the legislature of the committee’s concurrence with the matters under consideration and which recommends the passage of such legislation without change. It is the intent of the legislature to make this process consistent with that set forth under s. 111.92 .

(c) Supplementary compensation.

1. When applicable, the compensation plan may provide for pay supplements to reflect those circumstances not reflected by the basic pay rates or ranges as established in the compensation plan. Such pay supplements shall not be considered as part of an employee’s basic pay.

2. The administrator may establish a plan of extra compensation for work performed during selected hours at an hourly rate or rates subject to approval of the joint committee on employment relations. Eligibility for such extra compensation shall be as provided in the compensation plan.

3. Meals furnished an employee by the employing state agency, while the employee is required by the agency to take meals in the performance of assigned duties or responsibilities, shall be furnished without charge to the employee or deduction from the employee’s salary.

(d) Uniforms and safety equipment. The administrator, with approval of the joint committee on employment relations, may establish a schedule of payments to employees for uniforms or protective clothing and equipment required to perform their duties.

(dm) Damaged personal articles. The compensation plan shall include provision for reimbursement of employees whose articles of clothing, watches or eye glasses are damaged in the line of duty, if the damage is not caused by employee carelessness or normal wear and tear resulting from the type of work performed by an employee, subject to a minimum actual value or repair cost specified in the plan. Payments are subject to approval of an employee’s appointing authority and shall not exceed a maximum amount specified in the plan.

(e) Maintenance provisions. The compensation plan shall also include the approved schedule of allowable charges for the deductions from the pay of employees who are furnished meals, wholesale provisions and other maintenance provisions. Where allowances such as laundry or meals are provided any classified employee or an employee and his or her family, and such allowance in kind is included as a part of the compensation, the appointing authority or department head in addition shall pay in cash the value of the food during the vacation period or noncumulative leave of absence, if not so utilized, to such an employee.

(f) Trainee pay rates. When applicable, the compensation plan may provide for rates of pay below the minimum of the pay range to reflect the appropriate beginning pay for persons appointed to positions who do not possess the qualifications necessary to perform the work at the classification level for which they are being trained. Pay increases up to the minimum of the pay range shall be provided to compensate for the attainment of additional qualifications during the trainee period.

(g) Temporary reserve appeal tribunal. The compensation plan shall include a provision authorizing the department of workforce development to pay any individual who was previously employed by the department of workforce development and who is appointed to limited term employment as a temporary reserve appeal tribunal under s. 108.09 (3) (a) 2. not more than the base pay rate that the individual was paid at the time of his or her separation from the department of workforce development, plus any across-the-board and discretionary intervening adjustments that were made under the compensation plan or applicable collective bargaining agreement to the base pay rate for the position that was previously filled by the individual during the time between the individual’s separation from the department of workforce development and the individual’s appointment as a temporary reserve tribunal. For the purpose of calculating the amount of any discretionary intervening adjustment, the amount shall be limited to the amount that would have been generated by the employee.

(h) Other pay, benefits, and working conditions. The compensation plan may include other provisions relating to pay, benefits, and working conditions.

(3) Compensation plan; establishment and revision.

(a) Submission to the joint committee on employment relations. The administrator shall submit to the joint committee on employment relations a proposal for any required changes in the compensation plan. The proposal shall include the amounts and methods for within range pay progression, for pay transactions, and for performance awards. The proposal shall be based upon experience in recruiting for the service, the principle of providing pay equity regardless of gender or race, data collected as to rates of pay for comparable work in other public services and in commercial and industrial establishments, recommendations of agencies and any special studies carried on as to the need for any changes in the compensation plan to cover each year of the biennium. The proposal shall also take proper account of prevailing pay rates, costs and standards of living and the state’s employment policies.

(ad) Timing of proposed changes. Notwithstanding any other statute, the administrator may delay timing for announcement or implementation of any recommended changes in the compensation plan under this section until after some or all of the collective bargaining agreements under subch. V of ch. 111 for that biennium are negotiated. Any such action taken under this paragraph is not appealable under s. 230.44 .

(b) Public hearing on the proposal; adoption of plan. The administrator shall submit the proposal for any required changes in the compensation plan to the joint committee on employment relations. The committee shall hold a public hearing on the proposal. The proposal, as may be modified by the joint committee on employment relations together with the unchanged provisions of the current compensation plan, shall, for the ensuing fiscal year or until a new or modified plan is adopted under this subsection, constitute the state’s compensation plan. Any modification of the administrator’s proposed changes in the compensation plan by the joint committee on employment relations may be disapproved by the governor within 10 calendar days. A vote of 6 members of the joint committee on employment relations is required to set aside any such disapproval of the governor.

(c) Interim adjustments. Subject to pars. (a) and (b) , the administrator may propose amendments to one or more parts of the compensation plan at such times as the needs of the service require.

(d) Legislative employees. This subsection shall not apply to employees of the legislature under s. 13.20 (2) .

(e) University of Wisconsin System employees; general senior executives.

1. The administrator, after receiving recommendations from the board of regents and the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shall submit to the joint committee on employment relations a proposal for adjusting compensation and employee benefits for University of Wisconsin System employees. The proposal shall be based upon the competitive ability of the board of regents to recruit and retain qualified faculty and academic staff, data collected as to rates of pay for comparable work in other public services, universities and commercial and industrial establishments, recommendations of the board of regents and any special studies carried on as to the need for any changes in compensation and employee benefits to cover each year of the biennium. The proposal shall also take proper account of prevailing pay rates, costs and standards of living and the state’s employment policies. The proposal for such pay adjustments may contain recommendations for across-the-board pay adjustments, merit or other adjustments and employee benefit improvements. Paragraph (b) and sub. (1) (bf) shall apply to the process for approval of all pay adjustments for University of Wisconsin System employees. The proposal as approved by the joint committee on employment relations and the governor shall be based upon a percentage of the budgeted salary base for University of Wisconsin System employees. The amount included in the proposal for merit and adjustments other than across-the-board pay adjustments is available for discretionary use by the board of regents.

2. The administrator, after receiving recommendations from the board of the Wisconsin Technical College System, shall submit to the joint committee on employment relations a proposal for adjusting compensation and employee benefits for the director and executive assistant of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The proposal shall include the salary ranges and adjustments to the salary ranges for the general senior executive salary groups established under s. 20.923 (7) . Paragraph (b) and sub. (1) (bf) shall apply to the process for approval of all pay adjustments for such employees. The proposal as approved by the joint committee on employment relations and the governor shall be based upon a percentage of the budgeted salary base for such employees under s. 20.923 (7) .

(4) Compensation plan implementation provisions.

(a) When an approved compensation plan or an amendment thereto becomes effective, required individual pay adjustments shall be made in accordance with determinations made by the administrator to implement the approved plan.

(b) The administrator may, without prior approval of the joint committee on employment relations, determine the circumstances under which it is appropriate for an appointing authority to grant, and authorize an appointing authority to grant, a general wage or parity adjustment, or appropriate portion thereof, previously approved by the committee under this section to employees who did not receive the adjustment on the effective date of the adjustment set forth in the plan. No general wage or parity adjustment may become effective for any employee prior to the effective date of the individual employee transaction, but the administrator may authorize an appointing authority to grant a lump sum payment to an employee to reflect any wage or parity adjustment that the employee did not receive during the period between the effective date of the adjustment set forth in the plan and the effective date of the individual employee transaction.

(5) Within range pay adjustments.

(a) Pay advancement techniques, application. The varying circumstances and needs of the widely diverse occupational groups of state service must be recognized and met through several methods of systematic pay advancement. To this end the compensation program shall contain either individual or combinations of pay advancement techniques, and the pay schedules therein may contain provisions for a variety of methods of within range progression, including, but not limited to discretionary performance awards, equity adjustments, “time in grade” adjustments, and other appropriate within range adjustments as may be provided in the compensation schedule.

(b) Date. Any authorized pay adjustments under this section shall be awarded by each appointing authority for the agency subject to par. (d) on the date or dates in the approved plan.

(c) Increase limits. Unless otherwise defined in the pay schedule the total amount for all such within range increases shall not exceed the amount for such increases specified and approved by the joint committee on employment relations in its action on the administrator’s proposal for such increases.

(d) Individual increase limit. No appointing authority shall award an employee cumulative performance award increases or other types of cumulative within range pay adjustments exceeding a total of 10 percent of the employee’s base pay during a fiscal year. This paragraph does not apply to a specific type of pay increase authorized by the compensation plan if the plan specifically refers to this paragraph and specifically provides that the type of pay increase referenced in the plan is not subject to this paragraph.

(e) Appeal of discretionary performance award. An employee who is dissatisfied with the evaluation methodology and results used by an agency to determine any discretionary performance award, or the amount of such an award, may grieve the decision to the appointing authority under the agency’s grievance procedure. The decision of the appointing authority is final and may not be appealed to the commission under s. 230.44 or 230.45 (1) (c) .

(6) Additional hours of work provisions. Provisions relating to compensation for hours of work in addition to the standard basis of employment under s. 230.35 (5) (a) shall be provided for in the compensation plan. The provisions shall include the rate or rates to be paid to employees and the standards for determining which employees receive such compensation.

(7m) Pay adjustment filing requirements. Except as provided in the rules of the administrator and in the compensation plan, pay increases shall be made only on the dates prescribed under sub. (8) . Appointing authorities shall at such times each year as specified by the secretary file with the administrator and with the secretary of administration a list of employees showing their then existing pay rates and their proposed new pay rates.

(8) Effective date of compensation adjustments. Except as provided in s. 20.923 (3) , all compensation adjustments for state employees shall be effective on the beginning date of the pay period nearest the statutory or administrative date.

(9) Health insurance premium credits. The administrator may recommend to the joint committee on employment relations a program, administered by the department of employee trust funds, that provides health insurance premium credits to employees whose compensation is established under this section or s. 20.923 (2) or (3) . The health insurance premium credits shall be used for the purchase of health insurance for a retired employee, or the retired employee’s surviving insured dependents; for an eligible employee under s. 40.02 (25) (b) 6e. , or the eligible employee’s surviving insured dependents; for an employee who is laid off, but who is not on a temporary, school year, seasonal, or sessional layoff, and his or her surviving insured dependents; and for the surviving insured dependents of an employee who dies while employed by the state, and shall be based on the employee’s years of continuous service, accumulated unused sick leave and any other factor recommended by the director. Credits granted under the program to an employee who is laid off shall be available until the credits are exhausted, the employee is reemployed by the state, or 5 years have elapsed from the date of layoff, whichever occurs first. The approval process for the program is the same as that provided under sub. (3) (b) and the program shall be incorporated into the compensation plan under sub. (1) .

(10) Deputy and assistant district attorney pay progression plan; calculation of base pay for certain assistant district attorneys.

(a) There is established a pay progression plan for deputy and assistant district attorneys. The pay progression plan shall consist of 17 hourly salary steps, with each step equal to one-seventeenth of the difference between the lowest hourly salary and the highest hourly salary for the salary range for the position, as contained in the compensation plan. The pay progression plan shall be based entirely on merit.

(b) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2013, all deputy and assistant district attorneys who have served with the state as deputy or assistant district attorneys for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013. All other deputy and assistant district attorneys, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013, when they have served with the state as deputy or assistant district attorneys for a continuous period of 12 months.

(c) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2014, and with the first pay period that occurs on or after each succeeding July 1, all deputy and assistant district attorneys who have served with the state as deputy or assistant district attorneys for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of their supervising district attorney, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30. All other deputy and assistant district attorneys, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of their supervising district attorney, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30, when they have served with the state as deputy or assistant district attorneys for a continuous period of 12 months. No salary adjustment for a deputy or an assistant district attorney under this paragraph may exceed 10 percent of his or her base pay during a fiscal year.

(d) Beginning on April 10, 2014, if a district attorney separates from that position and within 5 years is appointed to an assistant district attorney position, the person shall receive credit for his or her years of service as a district attorney and any years of service as an assistant district attorney, if applicable, for purposes of calculating his or her new base pay as an assistant district attorney.

(11) Assistant state public defender pay progression plan.

(a) There is established a pay progression plan for assistant state public defenders. The pay progression plan shall consist of 17 hourly salary steps, with each step equal to one-seventeenth of the difference between the lowest hourly salary and the highest hourly salary for the salary range for assistant state public defenders contained in the compensation plan. The pay progression plan shall be based entirely on merit.

(b) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2013, all assistant state public defenders who have served with the state as assistant state public defenders for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013. All other assistant state public defenders, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013, when they have served with the state as assistant state public defenders for a continuous period of 12 months.

(c) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2014, and with the first pay period that occurs on or after each succeeding July 1, all assistant state public defenders who have served with the state as assistant state public defenders for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of the state public defender, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30. All other assistant state public defenders, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of the state public defender, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30, when they have served with the state as assistant state public defenders for a continuous period of 12 months. No salary adjustment for an assistant state public defender under this paragraph may exceed 10 percent of his or her base pay during a fiscal year.

(12) Assistant attorneys general pay progression plan.

(a) There is established a pay progression plan for assistant attorneys general. The pay progression plan shall consist of 17 hourly salary steps, with each step equal to one-seventeenth of the difference between the lowest hourly salary and the highest hourly salary for the salary range for assistant attorneys general contained in the compensation plan. The pay progression plan shall be based entirely on merit.

(b) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2013, all assistant attorneys general who have served with the state as assistant attorneys general for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013. All other assistant attorneys general, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, shall be paid an hourly salary at the step that is immediately above their hourly salary on June 30, 2013, when they have served with the state as assistant attorneys general for a continuous period of 12 months.

(c) Beginning with the first pay period that occurs on or after July 1, 2014, and with the first pay period that occurs on or after each succeeding July 1, all assistant attorneys general who have served with the state as assistant attorneys general for a continuous period of 12 months or more, and who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of the attorney general, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30. All other assistant attorneys general, who are not paid the maximum hourly rate, may, at the discretion of the attorney general, be paid an hourly salary at any step, or part thereof, above their hourly salary on the immediately preceding June 30, when they have served with the state as assistant attorneys general for a continuous period of 12 months. No salary adjustment for an assistant attorney general under this paragraph may exceed 10 percent of his or her base pay during a fiscal year.

History: 1971 c. 55 , 125 , 215 ; 1971 c. 270 ss. 20 , 27 , 28 , 30 to 32 ; 1971 c. 336 ; Stats. 1971 s. 16.086; 1973 c. 12 , 51 , 90 ; 1975 c. 28 , 39 , 199 , 224 ; 1977 c. 29 , 44 ; 1977 c. 196 ss. 36 , 130 (3) , (5), (11), 131 ; 1977 c. 272 , 418 , 449 ; Stats. 1977 s. 230.12; 1979 c. 221 ; 1981 c. 20 s. 2202 (33) (b) ; 1981 c. 153 ; 1983 a. 27 ss. 1611am to 1612am , 2200 (15) ; 1983 a. 140 ; 1985 a. 29 , 34 , 42 , 119 , 332 ; 1987 a. 33 , 83 , 340 , 399 , 403 ; 1989 a. 39 , 56 , 117 , 119 , 124 , 153 , 336 , 359 ; 1991 a. 269 ; 1995 a. 37 , 88 ; 1997 a. 14 , 237 ; 1999 a. 42 , 102 ; 2001 a. 16 , 29 , 35 ; 2003 a. 33 , 91 , 117 ; 2009 a. 28 ; 2011 a. 10 , 32 , 238 ; 2013 a. 20 ss. 2013m to 2015 , 2365m , 9448 ; 2013 a. 207 ; 2015 a. 55 , 58 , 150 ; 2017 a. 366 .