The Compensation Unit is responsible for the development, administration, and maintenance of the classification and pay programs for the thirty-five hundred staff positions located at West Virginia University, Potomac State College, the Charleston Division of the Health Sciences Center, and the state employees located at Ruby Memorial Hospital (170).

The principal responsibilities of the Compensation Unit are to:

* Evaluate and classify all administrative, professional, technical, secretarial, clerical, service, craft, and maintenance positions.

* Establish minimum qualifications by which job applicants are recruited and screened for position openings.

* Determine which positions are eligible to participate in the institution's benefits programs.

* Respond to inquiries and advise administrators and employees on applicable Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to the administration of classification and compensation programs (i.e. overtime pay, minimum wage, equal pay, etc.)

* Conduct and participate in salary surveys to determine the institution's position relative to market for classified jobs.

* Identify overlap or duplication of position responsibilities in the various units, colleges, and departments, and advise the appropriate administrator where reorganization or elimination of positions may create a more efficient operation.

* Assist the Environmental Health and Safety Unit in identifying positions that should be included in the University's Medical Monitoring Program.

In addition to the above, the Compensation Unit has responsibility for the institution's official job descriptions. The job description is the foundation for most of the activities listed above and is used by supervisors to provide a basis for establishing standards of performance for the performance appraisal process and by the Training and Development Unit as a tool to determine specific training needs.