Working to Keep Virginia Working
VGEA is the only statewide organization for the broad range of Commonwealth employees.
While there are more than 160,000 of us working in a vast array of professions and jobs, we unite in a desire to be recognized for our dedication to making Virginia a great state.
In short, The Commonwealth of Virginia works because we do!
Whether it’s increasing salaries, improving work conditions or any of the many other employee issues, VGEA is here to help address them all. A strong association with representative members is recognized and invited to decision-making tables in state government. We strive to be relevant, from the 21-year-old new employee to the 100-year-old retiree.
Every employee benefits from the experience and dedication VGEA brings. VGEA matters because you matter!
Working to Keep Virginia Working
VGEA is the only statewide organization for the broad range of Commonwealth employees.
While there are more than 160,000 of us working in a vast array of professions and jobs, we unite in a desire to be recognized for our dedication to making Virginia a great state.
In short, The Commonwealth of Virginia works because we do!
Whether it’s increasing salaries, improving work conditions or any of the many other employee issues, VGEA is here to help address them all. A strong association with representative members is recognized and invited to decision-making tables in state government. We strive to be relevant, from the 21-year-old new employee to the 100-year-old retiree.
Every employee benefits from the experience and dedication VGEA brings. VGEA matters because you matter!
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) ff
The standard deduction would increase from $4,500 to $8,000 for individuals and from $9,000 to $16,000 for joint filers.
There was a “record-breaking” budget surplus this year, which Republican Sen. Mark Obenshain, who represents some of the Shenandoah Valley, said gave lawmakers a real opportunity to ease the burden on Virginians experiencing high prices at the grocery store and gas pump.
“I think many of us were hoping Democrats in the Senate would agree to provide more tax relief to working Virginians. That didn’t materialize like we thought it would,” Sen. Obenshain said. “We’ve seen a partial elimination of [the grocery tax], but not total elimination.”
“I think the thing that’s attractive to me is giving back with all the revenues we saw, giving back some of the tax money the citizens paid in,” Republican Del. Tony Wilt, who represents some of the Shenandoah Valley, said. “I think that’s important. It doesn’t hurt a thing to give [taxpayers] back some of their money back.”
Some professions would get salary increases. State employees, including teachers, will get a 5% raise in 2022 and 2023, plus a $1,000 bonus in the first year. This is effective on August 1, 2022.
Law enforcement, sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers, and mental health workers will also get a salary raise.
Sen. Obenshain said that, at this point, he thinks the budget will pass, but then it heads to Gov. Youngkin where we will decide to approve, made amendments, or veto the budget.
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Body
To all Mason faculty and staff:
As you may know, the Virginia Assembly recently passed a state budget that includes an average 5 percent increase in base compensation for all state employees for each of the next two years. I am writing to give you an update on the process Mason will follow to distribute this year’s additional funds.
I want to begin by thanking each of you for your important contributions to Mason over the last year, as our university community continued to face such significant challenges. I am very pleased that the General Assembly and the Governor approved this increase for state employees. I know how hard you work to keep this university operating so successfully.
Across-the-board increase
Mason will follow its standard procedure of distributing increases across the board to classified staff, as governed by the General Assembly and Department of Human Resource Management.
For all employees, a current, satisfactory performance evaluation is required to receive any increase.
For IR and administrative faculty, we will suspend our standard practice of scaling increases based on performance and market factors for this year only, and instead allocate an across-the-board, 5 percent increase for all who qualify. We are taking this action for two reasons. First, current inflation is estimated at a 40-year high of 9.1 percent. And second, the late timing of state budget decisions, coupled with the timing of when performance reviews are traditionally conducted at Mason, preclude us from processing variable salary adjustments without creating unacceptably late delays. The timing of when performance evaluations are conducted at Mason will change next year to bring these two factors into sync.
One-time bonus
In addition to this year’s 5 percent increase, all employees will also receive a one-time state-allocated $1,000 bonus in December. It will carry qualifying criteria, which we will provide at a later date.
FAQs and other additional information will be available shortly at hr.gmu.edu, and via email. Watch your inbox for messages from Human Resources.
Sincerely,
Gregory Washington
President