Q&A – pay-based medical rates

Salary-banded rates are used for all USC health care plans except those for Las Vegas Culinary employees, employees using Anthem MyChoice HMO, and employees represented by Local 11, or CNA at Verdugo Hills. Otherwise, they apply to all employees – faculty, staff, ACA benefits eligible, union and non-union. The pay rate used to determine your “band” or range is called your “benefits annual rate.”

The benefits annual rate is a field in Workday where we will store your annual rate of pay for the purpose of determining which salary band you fall into.

For staff, benefits annual rates are calculated based on your compensation in Workday. The calculation includes base comp plans only and does not include allowances, overloads, bonuses, overtime or any other type of pay. Faculty annual compensation is provided by Faculty Affairs based on faculty contracts.

Benefits annual rates are recalculated every October 1 for the following plan year. They will also be updated after the following events: new hire/re-hire, return from unpaid leave, transition from non-benefits eligible to benefits eligible (staff only), transition to ACA eligible, transition from ACA eligible to benefits eligible.

Not during the current plan year – pay rate changes related to merit, promotion, transfer, etc. will not affect the annual compensation calculation for the current plan year. Compensation will be recalculated each October 1 for the following plan year at which time your new annual rate of pay will be used.

Just medical plans – not dental, vision, or any other plan.

Log into Workday, go to your profile, then from the Actions button, click Benefits then View Benefits Annual Rate.

The HR Service Center can help you review and understand your benefits annual rate. They can ask HR Information Systems or Faculty Affairs for a detailed review of your calculation if something seems wrong.

The HR Service Center is available to answer your questions. Contact them at uschr@usc.edu or by calling (213) 821-8100.