Subject: Re: Revised Total Compensation Philosophy
From: Bruce Lindsey <[email-masked]>
To: Terry Sheridan <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Andrew Kessel <[email-masked]>, Stephanie Streett <[email-masked]>, Laura Graham <[email-masked]>, Robert Harrison <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:00:34 -0500

I would add "primarily" or "foremost" or some similar word before "pay-for-performance" since we say that we consider other factors as well.

Bruce

From: Terry Sheridan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:42:38 -0500
To: "Bruce R. Lindsey" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Andy Kessel <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Stephanie Streett <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Laura Graham <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Robert Harrison <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Revised Total Compensation Philosophy

To All:

As a follow up to our call today, below please find the revised total compensation philosophy draft with the 2 changes highlighted.  Please let me know your comments by COB if you can.  Thanks.

Terry

Proposed Parameters for the Foundation’s Total Compensation Philosophy

A total compensation philosophy lays out the guiding principles for our compensation and benefits policies.  It serves as a type of mission statement for our policies and practices.  The proposed parameters for the Foundation’s total compensation philosophy are:

·         We aspire to a compensation program with standards that promote consistency and fair treatment of employees throughout the Foundation.

·         To encourage a true meritocracy, the goal of our pay practices should be pay-for-performance.  Length of service would also be a factor in determining pay, but of lesser consideration.  Pay-for-performance is a pay strategy where the employee evaluation has significant influence on the amount of his/her pay increases or bonuses.  This means that outstanding performers will receive the greatest rewards, to acknowledge their superior contributions and to motivate them to continue high performance; average performers will receive smaller raises, which may encourage them to work harder to achieve larger raises in the future; and poor performers will receive no increase, which is intended to persuade them to improve their performance or leave.

·         Our competitive group should consist of not-for-profit organizations.

·         The level of total compensation (i.e., salary and benefits) we offer relative to organizations with which we compete for talent should be, on average for the entire organization, at the midpoint.  This means that based on a number of factors including performance, time in position, background and skills, some employees’ salaries will be below the midpoint and some employees’ salaries will be above the midpoint, but the average for all employees should be around the midpoint.

·         We should continue using the annual year-end process for compensation decisions and only allow mid-year increases for promotions that occur during the year.

·         Employee compensation and increases in compensation are subject to available funds and the financial impact on the organization.  Therefore, any steps to bring an employee’s compensation up to market pay should not only be based on the employee’s performance, time in position, and background, but also on the ability of the Foundation to manage its total compensation expense.  As a result, for the purpose of good fiscal management and discipline, an employee’s compensation that is significantly below the market may be addressed over a few years’ period.