The Compensation Task Force (Karen Archer, Maureen Killoran, Tim Martin, Hannah Norton, Karen Johnson (Chair), Barb Gibbs (Moderator-elect), and Bromleigh McCleneghan (staff) has adopted a “working” compensation philosophy that has been submitted to Church Council for consideration at their April meeting.

UCG Draft Compensation Philosophy

United Church of Gainesville (UCG) is committed to providing a fair, transparent and competitive staff and clergy compensation system that will attract, retain and engage diverse, high-performing employees who support the church’s mission as reflected in the UCG Compact.

UCG strives to:

• Consistently comply with all applicable laws and regulations;
• Offer, within the church’s financial capabilities, a total compensation package (including salary, bonuses, benefits, paid leave, and holidays) competitive with comparable jobs in relevant labor markets;
• Ensure that proficient individuals are paid equitably across our workforce;
• Support employees by defining clear expectations, acknowledging quality work, encouraging employee development, and openly welcoming diverse individuals; and
• Promote consistency and transparency for staff and clergy through clear communications about job descriptions and compensation procedures.

The adopted philosophy will guide our work on updating the compensation procedures and personnel policies. We will also be looking at organizational changes that may be needed in order to fully implement the compensation philosophy. For example, we heard from many lay leaders that we need more consistency and continuity in our compensation process; we are presently reviewing existing practices to determine how best to achieve that. This is a complicated process with many moving parts; our next update will be at the congregational meeting in May.