Salary Adjustments for State Agency Employees
Promotions (Reason Code 020)
For an action to be a promotion, agencies must change the classified employee’s duty assignment and job classification.
The new job classification must be in a salary group with a higher minimum salary than the employee’s current position.
When moving the employee to the higher salary group for the promotion, agencies must ensure:
- Salary Schedule A employees receive an increase of at least $30 per month.
- Salary Schedule B employees receive at least a 3.4 percent increase.
At the agency’s discretion, the promotion increase could be up to, but not exceed, the maximum of the new salary group.
Important Note: Agencies should be aware there are salary groups with the same minimum salaries across the salary schedules. For example, a B11 may have the same minimum salary as an A11. Though the position is in a different salary schedule, a move between these two salary groups is not a promotion. As the minimum salary is the same for both positions, this example does not meet the requirement that a promotion must move the employee to a salary group with a higher minimum salary.
Salary Schedule C employees who are promoted must receive the established higher rate for the new salary group.
Qualifications
A promotion is not a way to reward an employee’s longevity or loyalty to the agency. Instead, the promotion must involve a higher level of qualification, such as:
- Greater skills
- More experience
- A higher level of responsibility than that required in the employee’s current position
Agencies may promote an employee:
- When the employee applies for and is selected for an internal agency position meeting the requirements (higher salary group, more responsibility, etc.).
– or – - Based on a management decision.
Timeframe
Unlike some salary actions, no specific timeframe is required between promotions. For example, an employee may be promoted on one day and receive another promotion effective the next day.
Promotions can be effective any time during the month. However, employees cannot receive a promotion:
- While they are on leave without pay (LWOP).
- While in a temporary assignment.
- When their salary has been reduced for disciplinary reasons.
Sources
Texas Government Code, Sections 659.251-259, 2101.035 and 2101.037; General Appropriations Act, Article V, Rider 7 – Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Rider 21 – Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Article IX, Part 2, Article IX, Parts 3.01-3.04 and 3.07; Texas Administrative Code, Section 5.41.