Understanding Each Salary Point Jump and the Salary Percentage You Receive

Each Salary Point Jump and the Salary Percentage You Receive.

Employees under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) receive gradual salary adjustments as they continue to serve. One of the ways this happens is through a salary point jump, which occurs when an employee advances to the next salary point within the same salary level.

The increase attached to a salary point jump is not a uniform amount given to every employee. It is calculated using an approved percentage based on the employee’s current salary. This means the actual amount gained may differ from one worker to another.

To fully understand how this salary progression works, it is important to first understand the meaning of the salary codes attached to employees under the structure.

Understanding the ‘PSH’ and ‘PSL’ Categories

Salary levels under the SSSS are usually represented with codes such as PSH16.1 or PSL16.1.

The abbreviation PS refers to Public Services. The letters that follow indicate the category of the employee.

▪ PSH refers to Public Services High

▪ PSL refers to Public Services Low

These categories help identify the professional status of employees within the salary structure. Workers who have recognised professional qualifications or have completed professional training related to their fields fall under the PSH category.

Employees who do not have the required professional qualifications are placed under the PSL category.

How the H and L Categories Affect Salary

The difference between PSH and PSL has a direct impact on the salary an employee receives.

An employee under the High category receives a higher salary compared with a worker under the Low category when both are at the same salary level or rank.

This difference is based on the value attached to professional training and expertise. Professional qualifications are considered to provide additional knowledge, specialised skills, and deeper understanding of a person’s area of work.

The classification therefore ensures that employees with different professional backgrounds are placed on the appropriate salary scale.

What Employees Should Know About Salary Points

The SSSS is structured with different salary levels, and each level contains several salary points.

For example:

▪ PSH16.1

▪ PSH16.2

▪ PSL16.4

▪ PSL16.5

The number after the decimal point represents the salary point. It shows the position of an employee within a particular salary level.

As employees gain more years of service, they become eligible to advance from one point to another. This progression recognises experience and continuous service.

However, salary points have limits. When an employee reaches the highest point available for that level, the next stage is expected to be promotion to a higher rank, which comes with a new salary level.

In many cases, junior staff categories end at point 5, while some senior categories extend to point 6.

The Percentage Increase Attached to Salary Point Jump

A salary point jump attracts a 1.7% salary increment.

This percentage is known as the salary relativity ratio. It is used to maintain a salary difference between employees who entered the service in different years.

The concept is based on the idea that an employee who joined earlier may have gained more experience than someone who joined later. Therefore, the salary structure maintains a percentage difference between their earnings.

The calculation is as follows:

▪ One-year difference = 1.7%

▪ Two-year difference = 3.4%

▪ Three-year difference = 5.1%

▪ Four-year difference = 6.8%

▪ Five-year difference = 8.5%

▪ Six-year difference = 10.2%

The 1.7% relativity ratio is also commonly referred to as the salute differential.