Let the "Bands" begin. Salary Bands coming in April?

[FracusBrown]

Salary bands have been the talk for at least 5 years.

Implementation to begin soon.

What's the difference in calling it a grade level or a band level?

Is it pay related? Oddly, I got 3.5% in a year I expected to get hosed in.

What will the net effect be?

 

[Catatonic]

Salary bands have been the talk for at least 5 years.

Implementation to begin soon.

What's the difference in calling it a grade level or a band level?

Is it pay related? Oddly, I got 3.5% in a year I expected to get hosed in.

What will the net effect be?

Based on what I have heard, the jobs/positions, regardless of length of service or current pay, will be assigned to a band.
Previously, all grades were based on Operations management pay structure and no matter what position you were in, doing a good job and rotating around got you up in the pay grades.
When the bands are implemented, the position will have a range of acceptable pay.
When a person opts for another position, they will be placed in that jobs pay band ... it may be higher, the same or lower.
I imagine that Operations positions will be a higher band than many of the support or functional positions. Some specialized positions will be higher bands based on competitive pressures.

All the above is based on pieces I have heard from various sources.

 

[Lineandinitial]

I don't like it, but, like many such UPS-things, I have no power or control over it. I'll find the good in it for me and the people that report to me and carry on.

 

[beentheredonethat]

A long time ago, there were a lot of rotations between departments, going from ops to ie, to hr, to ops etc. Now it seems that there are less and less rotations between departments. We still move a Supv from on road to preload to on road in a different group etc. In some areas it's good to get people to be experts in their fields, but I think we lost a lot of understanding between departments since new AE's for example never worked in operations. I hope they at least let the bands be known (even if it's generic to know what pays more and what pays less, so people can strive for jobs with higher bands.

 

[pretzel_man]

A long time ago, there were a lot of rotations between departments, going from ops to ie, to hr, to ops etc. Now it seems that there are less and less rotations between departments. We still move a Supv from on road to preload to on road in a different group etc. In some areas it's good to get people to be experts in their fields, but I think we lost a lot of understanding between departments since new AE's for example never worked in operations. I hope they at least let the bands be known (even if it's generic to know what pays more and what pays less, so people can strive for jobs with higher bands.

I think the lack of rotational assignments really hurt. There are also less special assignments today than in the past.

These "rounding out" assignments were beneficial I thought.

Not sure if what I saw about the bands is close to the final, but it was pretty easy to tell the higher codes from the lower ones.

 

[beentheredonethat]

I think the lack of rotational assignments really hurt. There are also less special assignments today than in the past.

These "rounding out" assignments were beneficial I thought.

I agree with you. I did quite a few rotations between operations, and multiple staff functions, along with almost 4 years of SA. I think it helped me learn about the overall business. I see a lot of folks now who haven't done much rotations and they don't understand how UPS works.

 

[FracusBrown]

I think the lack of rotational assignments really hurt. There are also less special assignments today than in the past.

These "rounding out" assignments were beneficial I thought.

Not sure if what I saw about the bands is close to the final, but it was pretty easy to tell the higher codes from the lower ones.

Let us in on the secret. What are the higher and lower codes?

An issue I see now is that the easier jobs pay the same as the more difficult jobs and vise versa.

If you don't do well in a difficult job you get moved to an easier assignment and keep the same pay.

There's no incentive to do take a more difficult job.

Perhaps the bands will address this.

Get an easier job, make less. Get a more difficult job, make more. Makes sense.

 

[Catatonic]

Let us in on the secret. What are the higher and lower codes?

An issue I see now is that the easier jobs pay the same as the more difficult jobs and vise versa.

If you don't do well in a difficult job you get moved to an easier assignment and keep the same pay.

There's no incentive to do take a more difficult job.

Perhaps the bands will address this.

Get an easier job, make less. Get a more difficult job, make more. Makes sense.

I believe that is part of the goal for this.
Operation sups should make more.

 

[beentheredonethat]

Let us in on the secret. What are the higher and lower codes?

An issue I see now is that the easier jobs pay the same as the more difficult jobs and vise versa.

If you don't do well in a difficult job you get moved to an easier assignment and keep the same pay.

There's no incentive to do take a more difficult job.

Perhaps the bands will address this.

Get an easier job, make less. Get a more difficult job, make more. Makes sense.

Here's the issue, I've had I've had 8 different staff jobs in 3 different departments and 2 different Op Jobs (Hub and PKG), along with 2 different S/A that totaled 4 years of mostly being away from family. I could rank them from Hardest to easiest in terms of hours worked. I could rank them from hardest to easiest in terms of stress. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on responsibility given. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on which jobs I liked the most. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on knowledge and skill needed for the jobs. All the list would come out different. Now, Although I did quite a few jobs, There are many I haven't done. Most people think the other guys job (that they haven't done yet) is easy. Personally I think the highest band should go to the job that requires the most knowledge and skill. Many may disagree. If this was 10-20 years ago, I'd guess that the bands would be based on whichever High level Mgr had the most swag in corporate. Now, I think it will be based on what the outside consultants think. Although I think the outside consultants will only look at a job title, and not look at what the job entails and compare it to similar jobs outside of ups that has the same workload and responsibilities.

 

[beentheredonethat]

I believe that is part of the goal for this.
Operation sups should make more.

I do agree that operation supvs have a lot of responsibility and work some crazy hours. For that reason they should have a decent salary and be in the upper bands. But if you think about it, we take PT Supvs send them on road for a period of time and promote them to On Road Supvs. New Supvs are in the highest band? That really doesn;t make sense when you think of it. Again, because I know the hours that many (not all) but many of the on roads work. I think the salary should be high to offset the hours expected of them.

 

[sosocal]

Here's the issue, I've had I've had 8 different staff jobs in 3 different departments and 2 different Op Jobs (Hub and PKG), along with 2 different S/A that totaled 4 years of mostly being away from family. I could rank them from Hardest to easiest in terms of hours worked. I could rank them from hardest to easiest in terms of stress. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on responsibility given. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on which jobs I liked the most. I could rank them from hardest to easiest based on knowledge and skill needed for the jobs. All the list would come out different. Now, Although I did quite a few jobs, There are many I haven't done. Most people think the other guys job (that they haven't done yet) is easy. Personally I think the highest band should go to the job that requires the most knowledge and skill. Many may disagree. If this was 10-20 years ago, I'd guess that the bands would be based on whichever High level Mgr had the most swag in corporate. Now, I think it will be based on what the outside consultants think. Although I think the outside consultants will only look at a job title, and not look at what the job entails and compare it to similar jobs outside of ups that has the same workload and responsibilities.

excellent point.... I share the same expirience and opinion--but in the final analysis, I would say in reality that pay bands should be based on how much of a tyrant your immediate manager happens to be....

 

[pretzel_man]

Let us in on the secret. What are the higher and lower codes?

An issue I see now is that the easier jobs pay the same as the more difficult jobs and vise versa.

If you don't do well in a difficult job you get moved to an easier assignment and keep the same pay.

There's no incentive to do take a more difficult job.

Perhaps the bands will address this.

Get an easier job, make less. Get a more difficult job, make more. Makes sense.

I have only seen some. My post was about how the job codes are easy to tell the higher paid ones from the lower pones. I think letters are used. An E job is paid higher than a C job.

What I did see is that an on road supervisor is paid much more.... The concept was that an on road supervisor has more skills than a preload supervisor and their band is higher.

 

[slantnosechevy]

I have only seen some. My post was about how the job codes are easy to tell the higher paid ones from the lower pones. I think letters are used. An E job is paid higher than a C job.

What I did see is that an on road supervisor is paid much more.... The concept was that an on road supervisor has more skills than a preload supervisor and their band is higher.

As an hourly, the on road supes should be paid more. In the old days, they like the drivers were where the buck stopped. The on road and the driver are the ones who override all the mistakes made by everyone from the shipper on down and got the pkgs. delivered. They are UPS's last line of defense so to speak and both have to have flexability from above to get the job done.
Maybe if they get paid more the good ones will stay and the company won't have to promote the bad ones. We have one now who couldn't pass the driving test but was promoted anyway.

 

[Europa]

Some support functions have market rates way outside the current pay structure. IT is one example, friend&A another (in Europe at least). So having pay bands for different roles would make sense in terms of attracting and retaining talent.

After several years we are still trying to align compensation structures from the various acquisitions. Although this change goes partly against the spirit of those efforts, at least the differences will be function/market based and not dependent on how you came to be a UPSer.

 

[UPSSOCKS]

Special assignments were big as we were expanding. Now a days we have a center in every nook and cranny. About five years ago people were heading over seas for S/A's. If I were a young single man I would have been all over that opportunity.

The rotation through different departments is something that everyone doesn't get the chance to do. For me my different assigments have created a network of contacts that make me more successful. I have made so many friends/enemies over the years I rarely ever have to look up a contact. The point I am getting to is, that I know someone everywhere.

That's what the company needs. Hub guys think of work like a war. They don't see UPS as a company. They see their operation up against other operations and they intentionally try to hurt one another. The supervisors that have been around make calls to their old contacts in other buildings and resolve differences. The supervisors that haven't been around fight back. I wish the company would remember how beneficial S/A's and interdepartment play are.

 

[FracusBrown]

Special assignments were big as we were expanding. Now a days we have a center in every nook and cranny. About five years ago people were heading over seas for S/A's. If I were a young single man I would have been all over that opportunity.

The rotation through different departments is something that everyone doesn't get the chance to do. For me my different assigments have created a network of contacts that make me more successful. I have made so many friends/enemies over the years I rarely ever have to look up a contact. The point I am getting to is, that I know someone everywhere.

That's what the company needs. Hub guys think of work like a war. They don't see UPS as a company. They see their operation up against other operations and they intentionally try to hurt one another. The supervisors that have been around make calls to their old contacts in other buildings and resolve differences. The supervisors that haven't been around fight back. I wish the company would remember how beneficial S/A's and interdepartment play are.

Conflicting goals don't do much for team work. Each department/operation has goals that are in direct conflict with the goals of another. It's a never-ending battle created by the company.

Injuries is the only item I can think of that has everyone on the same page. Perhaps, because it's very difficult to blame someone else.

My cost vs your cost, my performance vs your performance, my goal vs your goal is the typical set up.

In the end, we all loose with conflicting goals.

 

[Catatonic]

As an hourly, the on road supes should be paid more. In the old days, they like the drivers were where the buck stopped. The on road and the driver are the ones who override all the mistakes made by everyone from the shipper on down and got the pkgs. delivered. They are UPS's last line of defense so to speak and both have to have flexability from above to get the job done.
Maybe if they get paid more the good ones will stay and the company won't have to promote the bad ones. We have one now who couldn't pass the driving test but was promoted anyway.

The On_Road management should be paid more due to the hours, responsibilities and stress in their jobs ... they should be compensated well for that.
Other management jobs should be compensated based on the job market outside UPS.
If a management job has no comparable job market, then a job skills will be used to determine the pay.

 

[packageguy]

WHAT, Why would they be in management? Because lots of them can't do the do job,
This was said to me by them, that's no lie. They figure maybe once or twice a week better
then 5 days a week. The job is the job, sorry, you chose the job. That's like us drivers
saying, I want more money because my route has more then that route.

 

[Catatonic]

WHAT, Why would they be in management? Because lots of them can't do the do job,
This was said to me by them, that's no lie. They figure maybe once or twice a week better
then 5 days a week. The job is the job, sorry, you chose the job. That's like us drivers
saying, I want more money because my route has more then that route.

Thanks for your comment.
I found it interesting ... read it 6 or 7 times (thankfully it was short) and I'm still not sure what you were trying to contribute here.
This is what I derived from your post:
1) You are jealous because UPS is not interested in promoting you into management - Don't feel bad about it, management is not for everyone and you still contribute to the overall well-being of UPS while making record breaking wages. It's a win-win.
2) You have a simplistic view of what management is at UPS. This is understandable from your perspective and lack of exposure to the rest of the company outside of your center operations.
UPS based all management pay structure on the On-Road supervisor pay and that has created over payment for the services of many UPS management jobs. It has also caused a lot of turnover in management in job positions whose market value is much greater than that of a On-Road supervisor.
I will not get into details of the position (to keep my butt out of hot water) but UPS has lost some very creative, smart people who were shoe-horned into a pay structure based on an On-Road supervisor. UPS has turned into a training ground for people to double their pay after 1 - 2 years and we can get no traction in these areas because of turnover.

All management jobs should be based on complexity, stress, responsibility and most importantly - job market compensation.

 

[satellitedriver]

All management jobs should be based on complexity, stress, responsibility and most importantly - job market compensation.

You left out the key component,
competency.
All jobs,
-(from a garbage collector to CEO of a Fortune 500 company)-
share complexity, stress and responsibility, just in different forms.
IMHO,
Compensation should be based on how competent one does a job, not based on what his peer group makes in the job market.
My opinion applies to both hourly and salaried.