Best Practices: Salary Scale Initial Placement
August 29, 2019
Originally published in our April 2019 FSA Voice newsletter.
We encourage all members to know about the importance of Initial Placement so that when new colleagues start in your Department you can encourage them to ensure that they have been placed properly. We have several “hard to fill/difficult to recruit to” disciplines where having this knowledge is key.
In general, placement on salary scales should reflect your knowledge, experience and abilities, regardless of who you are. In this sense, the placement on the BCIT salary scale should apply equally to any person applying for and successfully attaining a technological faculty or staff position.
There is a mechanism in the Collective Agreement for determining this initial placement for all key classifications of faculty and staff. There is also a mechanism for appeal of this placement in Article 11. You have six (6) months from initial date of hire to appeal your placement. Review your placement form to ensure all experience and qualifications are credited. (Articles 11.2.2, 11.4.2, 11.6, 11.7).
All FSA members should receive a “placement form” with their appointment letter. There is a barrier step on “initial placement” meaning that the top of scale rates of pay usually are not available at point of hire. However, there are circumstances such as market shortages, which may allow for a mutually agreed-to variance of such a barrier. The initial placement is determined by the selection committee (Art 5.2.3.3.5), reviewed by the Dean (Art 11.2.5), and sent to BCIT Human Resources for the offer.
FSA members have six (6) months to appeal a placement.
Still have questions? Talk to your FSA Tech Rep or contact the FSA directly.