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Variable-Pay Programs

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Variable pay is a significant element of the direct compensation package of a growing number of organizations. The trend is towards more organizations using variable pay and for these organizations to expand eligibility and to increase the prominence of variable pay in the total direct compensation package.
Variable pay is defined as “direct compensation that does not become a permanent part of base pay/salary and which may vary in amount from period to period.” Other names for variable pay include: incentive compensation, incentives, bonuses, commissions, cash awards and lump sums.
Variable pay can be in the form of short-term (one year or less) or long-term (two years or more) incentives/bonuses and employee ownership programs. “Incentives” are plans that have predetermined criteria and standards, as well as understood policies for determining and allocating rewards. “Bonuses” are awards delivered at the end of the period, based on a subjective judgment as to the quality of performance and the rewards that are warranted.

Indeed, businesses that adopt variable pay have to recognize the importance of tailoring the program to account for different circumstances. Factors that have to be considered, said Sunoo, include:
• Achievement of business and personal growth goals
• Compensation packages that are available to employees if they decided to look elsewhere for work
• Current level of pay based on salary range relative to skills and experience
• Eligibility of variable pay as an ingredient in total cash compensation

"In a pay-for-performance environment, we expect true differentiation based on these types of factors," wrote Sunoo. "Managing a performance-based salary program requires a strong commitment to goal setting and measurement."

The growing prevalence of variable pay alternatives in business compensation strategies has been

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