Research Scientist Salary Equity

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Research Scientist Salary Equity

• Vanessa Miguelino, MPH
• Research Scientist II
• Department of Health Services
• Merry Holliday-Hanson, PhD
• Research Scientist III
• Department of Health Services
• May 18, 2006

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Research Scientist Salary Equity

• Research Scientist Series
• Realities of Inequities
• Proposed Solutions

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Research Scientist Series

• Classes
• Research Scientist I, II, III, IV, V
• Parenthetical
• 7 specialties
• Work Levels
• Overall scope
• Increasing complexity with class increase
• Required Education
• Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Doctoral
  Degree
• Substitution of years of experience with higher
  level degree

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Research Scientist Parentheticals

• Chemical Sciences
• Epidemiology/Biostatistics
• Food and Drug Sciences
• Microbiological Sciences
• Physical/Engineering Sciences
• Social/Behavioral Sciences
• Veterinary Sciences

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Research ScientistScope

• Direct and conduct highly specialized public
  health research
• Protect and improve the health of citizens in
  California
• Contribute to the understanding, prevention, and
  control of illnesses and injuries
• Develop public health education and prevention
  programs to reduce morbidity and mortality
• Measure the efficiency of health care systems in
  reducing morbidity and mortality

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Research Scientist Levels

• Conduct studies of limited scientific scope ?
  increasing in advanced complexity
• Supervised by senior scientific research staff ?
  lesser administrative direction
• Act as team member or technical scientific
  consultant ? becoming the scientific expert
  providing advice and guidance in specialty

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Research ScientistLevels

• Making independent decisions to affect a specific
  scientific field ? working independently and
  providing interpretation of research findings for
  use in public health policy development by upper
  management
• Solving problems using standard principles,
  procedures, and techniques in their scientific
  area of expertise ? conducting and directing the
  most difficult, advanced, complex, and highly
  original scientific research studies and making
  original, independent decisions on complex
  scientific problems using scientific theories on
  association and risk

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Research ScientistEducation Requirements

• RSI BS
• RSII BS
• RSIII MS
• RSIV PhD
• RSV PhD

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Research Scientists by Department (n 138)
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State of CaliforniaClass Specific Salaries

• RS I 4516.00 5448.00
• RSII 4960.00 5984.00
• RSIII 5415.00 6582.00
• RSIV 6228.00 7569.00
• RSV 6850.00 8327.00

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Lag in Salary and Benefits(Unit 10/DPA Salary
Surveys)
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Reality of RS Inequities

• Vanessas examplecontracting for scientists
• Merrys examplerecruiting RS IVs

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Reality of Inequities

• Retention
• Competition with private/public employers
• Recruitment
• RS IV (Food and Drug Sciences)
• Advertised for 4 months 1 applicant

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Proposed Solutions

• Research Scientist salaries should be based on
  CAPS/DPA joint survey
• Include RS III and RS IV as benchmark positions
• No salaries should be reduced as a result of the
  survey

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Proposed Solutions

• Geographic Differentials
• For high cost-of-living counties in Bay Area and
  Southern California
• Longevity Bonus
• 1 salary increase, beginning at 18 years of
  service 1 increase each year for a total of 7

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Proposed Solutions

• Educational Incentive
• Not a condition of employment
• 200/month for Masters degree
• 300/month for doctorate
• Professional Certification
• Costs incurred for certification, registration or
  diplomate in scientific specialty
• Includes renewal fees

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Proposed Solutions

• Deferred Compensation
• 1 match for every 1 contributed to the Savings
  Plus Deferred Compensation Program, up to the
  maximum allowed by federal law

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Summary

• Research Scientists lack equitable salaries
• Difficulties with recruitment and retention of
  qualified scientists

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Summary

• Proposed solutions
• Salary equity based on CAPS/DPA
• Geographic differential
• Longevity Bonus
• Educational Incentive
• Professional Certification
• Deferred Compensation