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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY HEALTHCARE
SALARY GUIDELINES
Fiscal year 2023-24

Salary increase effective Nov. 5

Information for Managers & Supervisors
Today, we are announcing an important investment of an additional $26 million in the UK HealthCare workforce to recognize and retain our people.
Annual increase
We have approved a 3.5% salary increase* to UK HealthCare staff who meet the eligibility requirements and are not on probationary status. This increase will go into effect with the pay period that begins November 5 and will impact pay distributed November 24
Considering the challenges facing our health system, we have decided to simplify distribution of the increase by continuing our traditional approach that has been used for several years. This enables us to deliver a salary increase faster and stay focused on key matters in pursuit of our priorities as a health system.
*Nurses impacted through the step salary scale will receive the appropriate step increase or 3.5%, whichever is greater. Fellows, residents and APPs are on a different schedule and are not impacted by this increase.
Action required of managers
You play a critical role in communicating to your team about the increase and other actions we are taking to ensure we are recruiting and retaining a workforce that can help us meet our strategic objectives and support a healthy work environment.

  • Please review the frequently asked questions below and be prepared to answer staff questions about the salary increase.
  • If you have not submitted the names of employees who would be excluded from the increase due to documented performance issues, please do so (see the FAQs).
  • If you are currently working on a hiring proposal, the FAQs provide important information you should review.

How will staff be notified? 
Each person receiving a salary increase will be notified by letter posted to their myUK portal on November 6. The letter can be found under the Employee Self Service tab. Look under “Benefits and Payment” for UK HealthCare Salary Letter. 
We are fortunate to be in a position to offer this increase, thanks in great part to your leadership and the extraordinary work of your teams. Your work and that of your team is truly appreciated.

With appreciation,
Robert S. DiPaola, MD
Co-Executive Vice President for Health Affairs
Eric N. Monday, PhD
Co-Executive Vice President for Health Affairs 

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) Who is eligible for the salary increase?

  • Staff employed in a regular or on-call position as of August 5 and have successfully completed the new employee probationary period prior to November 5.*
  • Staff who were meeting expectations on their completed 2023 performance evaluation.
  • Staff who had no documented performance issues at the level of probation during FY23.

*Employees must be in “active regular or on-call assignment” in SAP through November 5 (temporary and phased retirement is excluded from the annual salary allocation process).

2) How will the salary increase be calculated?
The employee’s pay rate as of August 5 will serve as the base to which the increase is applied for salary allocation change.
For eligible staff who have undergone demotion or promotion between August 6 and November 4, their salary change will be based on their previous rate as of August 5 and added to their current base rate.

3) How will hiring proposals or position reclassifications in process at the time of the salary increase be impacted?
Any promotions, demotions, reclassifications and transfers that are currently in process will be flagged by HR and the salary allocation will be applied. 

4) Will employees who have transferred from one position to another position before November 5 be eligible for the salary increase?
Yes. The new department is responsible for ensuring the employee’s performance evaluation from the prior department is completed to ensure eligibility. If you have questions about performance evaluations, please reach out to the HR Performance Management team at LearningandPerformance@uky.edu.

5) What about employees who transfer between UK and UK HealthCare?
Employees who transfer from the University scale to the UK HealthCare scale after July 1, 2023, may be eligible for a salary increase from UK HealthCare. Transfer employees must be clear of any documented performance issue in FY23.  Employees who transferred from the UK HealthCare scale to the University scale by June 30, 2023, should have received a July 1 University allocation. They do not quality for this Novemberincrease.

6) Is there any impact on hiring proposals underway?
If the candidate is not currently in a regular or on-call position, the proposed salary offer will not be impacted by the salary increase. However, their offer may be impacted depending upon how the equity grid may change following the salary allocation. Consult with Workforce Management to determine if there is a change.

7) What if I failed to submit the name of an employee who should be excluded due to documented performance issues at the level of probation in FY23?
Send a list of employee names with appropriate UK ID number and reason for exclusion to salaryallocation@uky.edu.

8)  How will the Nursing RN Hiring Scale impact the hourly increase nurses receive?
Nurses impacted through the step salary scale will receive the appropriate step increase or 3.5%, whichever is greater.

9) Will Eastern State Hospital staff receive this salary allocation?
Eastern State Hospital has a separate budget process but will be providing a similar increase to its eligible staff. ESH managers should watch for a separate, focused communication from the hospital's leadership.

10) Will King's Daughters staff receive this salary allocation?
King's Daughters has a separate budget process.

11) What other aspects of the university’s philosophy regarding compensation would be helpful for staff to understand?
It is UK’s philosophy to pay a fair, market-driven wage. The university brings new employees on and works to accelerate to the midpoint of the employee’s job classification and job experience, which is market-driven. After reaching the market midpoint, pace of increase slows.
On a regular basis, the university reviews job classification salary assigned to positions to ensure compensation remains competitive. Other benefits beyond salary make up the university’s total compensation. A summary of UK’s total compensation is mailed to all staff each year.
When comparing UK compensation with other employers, staff are advised to consider total compensation.