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Consultant recommends consolidating nonunion pay plan, benchmarking to 60th percentile
Summary
Human Resources Services presented a compensation study for roughly 40 nonunion Westborough positions and recommended a consolidated pay plan, standardized step increases, longevity payments for nonunion staff and benchmarking ranges tied to the 60th-percentile market median to improve recruitment and retention.
Sandy Stepchinski, president of Human Resource Services, presented a market-driven compensation study the town commissioned to benchmark about 40 nonunion positions against comparable Massachusetts communities. The firm recommended consolidating nonunion positions into a single classification plan, smoothing step increments to consistent 4.5% increases, and adopting a wage schedule that targets the 60th percentile for grade maxima while continuing to monitor up to the 75th percentile for reference.
The study combined internal equity (comparable worth) and external market data, including ERI where needed, and found that Westborough’s job descriptions were current and helped streamline analysis. Stepchinski said the recommended changes are intended to help the town attract and retain talent and that annual wholesale updates should account for cost of living adjustments.
Board members asked about the difference between the analysis and the proposed plan; Stepchinski said the firm quantified ranges up to the 75th percentile but structured the pay plan to reflect Westborough policy at the 60th percentile. The board also queried how stipends are treated (base salary vs. separate pay), the town’s existing performance management cycle, and how any changes would impact the FY25 budget and implementation timing. Staff said the report is draft and a formal recommendation for implementation — including fiscal impact and transition details — will follow.
Next steps: staff will return with implementation options, budget impacts and a recommended schedule for transitioning nonunion positions into the new classification and pay ranges.
