Total Compensation Bulletin: FY24

Labor Market Increase

The legislature has approved a 5% labor market increase for non-judicial officer employees as follows: 

• The 5% increase will be applied to all non-judicial officer positions

• Eligible employees who are already at or above the maximum of the salary range, will receive the 5% as well

• Salary ranges will be adjusted by 5%

• The increase will be applied with an effective date of June 24, 2023; but employees will not see the increased hourly rate on their paychecks until their July 21, 2023 paycheck. For additional information about the pay cycle, please visit this link to review the pay period schedule.

Other Salary and Bonus Pay Information

In addition to the already generous Labor Market Increase, the legislature approved an additional $2,590,700 for discretionary increases.  This funding is intended to allow Courts some flexibility to address other employee compensation matters (within the intent of appropriations) such as: compression with salary ranges, exceptional performance, and finally recruitment and retention concerns. Additional information will be forthcoming as the State Court Administrator, Deputy State Court Administrator, AOC Directors and Trial Court Executives work together to consider how to determine the best ways to recruit and retain our most valuable resource: Courts employees.  

The Judicial Council has also approved an additional amount for performance-based salary increases and bonuses using Ongoing Turnover Savings amounts.  This separate funding source will allow administration to fund additional increases and bonuses beyond all legislative increase amounts.  Additional details related to distribution will be provided at a later date.

Judge, Court Commissioner and Attorney Compensation 

The legislature approved additional targeted funding to provide increases for judges, court commissioners and non-judicial court positions that require a juris doctorate.  The distribution of this amount is as follows:  

• Each year, the Utah legislature determines the compensation of district, juvenile, and appellate court judges as well as justices of the Supreme Court in an appropriations act as governed by UCA §67-8-2. This year, the legislature approved a 10% total salary increase.  The 5% labor market increase that was approved for state employees does not apply to those judicial officers.

• Each year, the Judicial Council determines the salary of court commissioners coinciding with the time frame of the legislative appropriations act mentioned above. Currently, a court commissioner's salary is set at 90% of a trial court judge's salary. This year, the Council determined to use a portion of the funds granted by the legislature for retention of legal expertise in order to keep court commissioner salaries at 90% of a trial court judge salary.

• The remaining legislative funding for recruitment and retention of legal expertise will also be used to adjust the Law Clerk Attorney salary range and to address the resulting salary compression among current employees filling JD-required positions, based on years of service.

**IMPORTANT** Guardian ad Litem (GAL) budget is its own separate line item, and GAL employee compensation is administered independently by the GAL Director. Specific questions about GAL employee compensation should go to the GAL Director.

• SJR 5 allows the Executive Appropriations Committee to set aside any savings from each reduction in the amortization rate and, when the total set aside money reaches a specified threshold, include the amount in the base budget as an increase to benefitted employee salaries.  

• SB89 requires an employer to automatically enroll a newly hired or newly benefit-eligible employee to make a bi-weekly contribution to a Utah Retirement Systems (URS) 401(k) retirement savings account in an amount equal to at least amount that is eligible for an employer match.  The bill does allow an employee to modify the automatic enrollment by opting out, changing the amount or changing the URS savings account type the contribution is made to.  

• Medical Premiums. Employee premiums increased by an average of 6.5% for all plans. 2023-24 biweekly rates can be found here.

• Vision Premiums. EyeMed vision plans increased approximately 1%, and OptiCare plans saw an approximate 7.5% decrease overall for their plan options. 

• Dental Premiums. Employee premiums increased by approximately 1% for PEHP dental plans. EMI was introduced as a new vendor and plan option for employees, and Regence Expressions has been eliminated from the options available for employees to choose from.  

**Open Enrollment**

Open enrollment begins on April 13th and runs through May 26th, to learn more about Open Enrollment, please visit our Open Enrollment page and/or PEHP's open enrollment page for a virtual presentation.  

HB 415 Maternal Coverage Amendments  is a pilot program that goes into effect on July 1, 2023 and ends on July 1, 2027.   The program provides coverage for pregnancy and childbirth services by PEHP including: 

• Doula services 

• Services by a licensed direct-entry midwife 

• Services as a free standing birthing center 

HJR 8 Joint Resolution for Fertility Preservation directs PEHP to provide fertility preservation coverage for employees and eligible dependents under specific medical circumstances as of July 1, 2023. 

HSA employer contributions amounts are as follows: 

STAR Consumer Plus

Single $909.22 Single $1,824.68

Double $1,826.76 Double/Family $3,649.62

Family $1,918.54

Employees may convert a portion of the employer HSA contribution into CASH as follows: 

• You can convert 25% or 50% of the employer HSA contribution on the STAR Plan.

• You can convert 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of the employer HSA contribution on the Consumer Plus Plan.

• The first half of the employer HSA contribution will be distributed by the end of July 2023 and the second half by the end of January 2024.

Maximum HSA contribution limits for 2023: $3,850 (single), $7,750 (double/family) - these amounts include both employee and employer contribution amounts total. Age 55+ Catch Up = extra $1,000/year

The FLEX$ rollover limit increased to $610, therefore, you may rollover up to $610 into the new plan year. Anything beyond that will be forfeited.

New FLEX$ Limits

• Up to $3,050 for healthcare expenses

• Up to $5,000 for dependent day care expenses for individuals and married couples filing jointly, and up to $2,500 for a married person filing separately.  

If you choose the STAR HSA or Consumer Plus plans and you're not eligible for a health savings account (HSA), your employer contribution will be deposited into an HRA instead.

An HRA is an employer-paid fund that reimburses you for qualified medical expenses for you and your dependents. The employer contribution is made twice per plan year, by the end of July and January. However, unlike with an HSA, you can't make personal contributions to an HRA. Funds rollover year-to-year, however, if you leave employment there is only a three-year period to spend the funds or they are forfeited. PEHP will issue you a healthcare Mastercard from which to pay medical expenses. Or, you can submit claims and be reimbursed from your HRA.

If at some point you become eligible for an HSA, you can re-enroll in the high deductible plan of your choice during Open Enrollment and mark yourself as eligible for the HSA.

Lastly, the HRA is NOT eligible for the cash conversion options available for HSAs. 

HB 8 State Agency and Higher Education Compensation Appropriations (effective 7/1/23)

• • Funds the state’s portion of the 7.2% medical insurance premium increase 

  • Funds the state's portion of the 0.9% increase in dental insurance premiums 

  • Provides funding for an up-to $26 per pay period match for qualifying state employees 

HB 105 Public Employee Disability Amendments (effective 7/1/23) 

• Establishes a three-year pilot period during which an eligible employee with a mental objective medical impairment qualifies for the same disability benefit as the eligible employee would receive for a physical objective medical impairment; 

• Creates review and compliance requirements for an individual receiving a disability benefit. 

• Increases LTD premiums for the duration of the pilot program. 

SB 22S02 State Employee Benefit Amendments (effective 7/1/23) 

• Creation of the State Employee Benefits Advisory Commission 

• Details the commission's membership, quorum requirements, duties, and other requirements 

• Establishes reporting requirements for the commission and provides a sunset date for the commission