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Our congregation has worked hard to pay our staff fairly. In the past decade we have struggled, as we also have added needed staff positions.
We have made considerable progress in both areas. We have added an associate minister, administrator, custodian, part-time RE assistant, and music staff. We increased minister’s salaries to recruit new settled ministers, but have not been able to keep them at the levels in the ranges their performance would suggest appropriate. We have increased staff salaries with fair compensation in mind, but still fall short for some positions. Fair Compensation
Fair and adequate compensation is essential to the recruitment, retention and motivation of qualified personnel. Compensation rewards are experienced in both financial and non-financial terms, and it has been customary to assume that persons who work for religious organizations are drawn to the non-financial ones. In 1995, UU congregations adopted guidelines for Fair Compensation work. The work supporting those guidelines is continued through two groups, the UUA Compensation, Benefits, and Pension Committee (CBPC) and the District Compensation Consultants. The CBPC, appointed by our UUA Trustees to provide pay and benefit recommendations for congregations, is primarily laypersons with expertise in human resources, retirement plans, and personal financial management. The District Compensation Consultants are volunteers appointed by District staff and serve the local congregations. Our Principles and Purposes encourage and challenge us to approach this as a religious issue. This challenge is tied to our first two principles: the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and justice, equity and compassion in human relations. These two principles call us to provide our best for those who serve our congregation. |
