Cornell University
PAE-11: Sustainable Compensation

Institution evaluates, and updates as appropriate, its wages and benefits policies and its guidelines for contractors operating on campus to ensure that total compensation (wages plus benefits) for all on-campus workers is sufficient to enable these employees to meet their basic needs, as defined by the institution.  This evaluation is completed at least once every three years. 

Student workers are not covered by this credit.

While wages and total compensation set in the following ways may constitute sustainable compensation, institutions should conduct a basic needs assessment to ensure that the total compensation is adequate before claiming points for this credit:

• Paying prevailing wages for job type or classification
• Paying average or above average wages for the region or city where the institution is located
• Paying minimum wages or a set amount above the minimum wage

Policies and practices adopted by entities of which the institution is part (e.g. state government or the university system) may count for this credit as long as the policies apply to and are followed by the institution. 

This credit applies to all institutions. 

Institutions earn the maximum 8 points available for this credit when all employees working on campus--both employees of the institution and those of contractors operating on site (e.g. maintenance crews, dining services employees)--receive sustainable compensation.  Incremental points are available based on the percentage of employees that earn sustainable compensation.  For example, if 75 percent of employees that work on campus earn sustainable compensation, an institution would earn 6 points (75 percent of the points available for this credit).

Timeframe

Report on current compensation status and offerings

Sampling and Data Standards

Not applicable