The Salary Administration Program (SAP) provides policies for determining appropriate compensation for all PSU employees. The SAP Committee helps members understand this system and provides guidance for members who wish to pursue a review of their salary or position classification (i.e., salary grade).
SAP Position Classification or Equity Review procedure.
PSU SAP Frequent Questions and Answers
What is the best way to communicate with SAP?
Please reach out to the SAP Committee by emailing PSU.SAP@external.umass.edu.
How can I support SAP? Is there a role I can play?
SAP’s responsibilities are expanding! There is so much for members to help with. Things that may take 5-10 minutes per month up to a couple of hours per month. You can directly work with other members or you can support in the back ground.
The primary role for the PSU SAP Committee is to support members through the Equity and Position Reclassification processes. This work involves supplying data and forms and answering questions. Once HR has processed a review, members have the option to appeal that decision. We need people to examine HRs justification and look for weaknesses or mistakes to build the case for appeal. For a Reclass, we also need people on the Leveling Team to generate the Union’s SAP Score.
New opportunities center on ensuring that PSU is not losing positions to management. This will involve checking postings as well as emailing people whose jobs have changed.
If you’re interested in joining, or simply learning more, please email Beth Pellettieri (SAP Co-Chair) at bpellettieri@umass.edu.
Who is on the SAP Committee?
The SAP Committee includes the following UMass Amherst Employees. All SAP members are volunteers and work full-time at UMass. Members include: Beth Pellettieri and Amanda Major (Co-Chairs), Meghan Flanagan, Charlie Herbert, AJ Juno, AJ LeBlanc, Jo Martone, Silas McClung, and Pamela Stawasz. We’re always looking for volunteers. Reach out to learn more!
Who sets the salaries that people make?
Salaries are based on a multitude of factors including all relevant experience, salaries for similar positions on campus with the same experience, and market data. If you want to do salary research, you can visit the Statewide Payroll website.
How do I find my position description?
You can access your position description on the Human Resources Main Page (Office of Human Resources : Human Resources : UMass Amherst). Then, click on the PageUp tile and logged in with your UMass credentials. There is a Position Description tile with a button to “My position description” when you click that it will bring you to your current position description.
What is the equity and/or reclassification review process like?
It’s important to remember that both of these actions are member driven.
SAP can advise on how to submit an equity or reclassification, but it’s up to the member to complete the paperwork, work with their supervisor, and ensure it submitted by the Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) that works with your team.
SAP is not a part of any initial reviews. You will find out the result of your case from your supervisor or HRBP.
If you are not happy with the result, you can reach out to SAP to discuss an appeal.
I haven’t heard back about my equity or reclassification review form HR. How long does the process take?
We get this question a lot from members!
The date your HR Business Partner (HRBP) submits your reclassification and/or equity case into PageUp (UMass Amherst’s platform) is considered the official case submission date. Please ensure your HRBP submits your case promptly after you have provided them with the necessary materials. This submission date also determines the effective date used to calculate any applicable back pay. If you are concerned that your HRBP has not yet submitted your case in PageUp, please contact SAP by email, and we can verify its status for you.
Once your case has been submitted, it will be assigned to a Total Compensation (TC) Analyst. Cases are reviewed according to the priority order established in the contract (Appendix B, Section II.B.iii). Your TC representative will evaluate your equity case by comparing your position to the same level and state title across campus and reviewing relevant market data. Reclassifications are reviewed in alignment with the point system described in the contract (Appendix B, Appendix #6). There are currently six TC staff members who do the position reviews, postings, and salary reviews for all staff employees across all unions at UMass.
Based on data from FY2026 (July 1, 2025 to mid-August 2026), 168 equity and reclassification were submitted, reviewed, and rendered a decision. The average time for an equity case was 4.5 months, and the average time for a reclassification case was 3.5 months.
Please note these are averages, some cases take longer, and some are shorter based on factors such as the completeness of the submission, the number of employees affected, whether additional market analysis is needed, and the complexity of the request.
How do I find out who my HRBP is?
Your supervisor should be able to connect you with your HRBP. If that is not the case, please email SAP at the address above.
Can I be in the room at the table with HR when my case is being discussed?
No, these meetings are now a subcommittee of labor relations and only committee members can attend.
If no, can I have a meeting with the SAP member who is representing me?
Yes, absolutely we are happy to meet with you.
What kind of support does SAP need to make that happen?
If you received a denial or an offer you are not happy with the result, we can meet to go over your concerns and we can bring them up in our monthly meeting with HR/Total Compensation.
What is compression?
Salary compression is an issue that happens when newly-hired employees with less experience earn salaries that are close to what current employees with more experience make. This doesn’t just mean UMass experience, but overall related experience. This typically happens when market conditions change so that new employees are being hired at higher rates than annual base rate increases for existing employees have increased.
How are members supposed to know how make compared to others?
SAP has access to salary data that we can pull for you and others in the same job code as you. If you’d like us to pull data for you, please email the email address listed above and a steward will be in touch.
Keeps hearing from management that “we can’t give you more money because of the union” meanwhile UMass money is being used to recruit for advancement with higher salaries and signing bonuses – is that true?
When “management” tells employees that they cannot increase salaries “because of the union,” this usually refers to the need to keep internal equity among PSU members in the same level/ job code. So, even if a department has the money and wants to pay an employee more, they cannot if the higher salary would create an equity issue with other members. Equity is a significant focus of the PSU CBA/ SAP appendix, and a significant factor that has to be considered when determining salaries.
Sometimes management uses that phrase just because they don’t know how else to say no. If you hear that, it is always okay to find out from a SAP Committee member whether it is a fact of contract restrictions, or just that they do not want to have to address equity issues.
When should I file an appeal?
If you receive a denial or an offer you don’t agree with, the first step is to reach out to SAP. We will need you to sign and send us the appeal form. We will then inform HR/Total Compensation that you are appealing the finding. An appeal to your findings has a very tight timeline, so please reach out immediately.
