Skip to main content

Total Compensation Statement FAQs

Below you will find our most frequently asked questions and answers. If you have questions not listed in
the FAQ, please
contact askHR at 847-491-4700 or askHR@northwestern.edu.

 

General Questions

What information is contained in the Total Compensation Statement?

The statement details your annual earnings and your employee benefits, such as tuition and health insurance, to display your total compensation package.

Who else can see my statement?

Only you can see your Total Compensation Statement via the myHR Self Service portal.

How was the information in my statement sourced and validated?

Northwestern partnered with Mercer Consulting, a firm that has administered numerous total compensation statements for higher education. The process took over 12 months that involved coordinating data feeds from all our vendor partners and NUIT, creating a wireframe, and building the online platform. Quality Assurance testing took place, as did end user testing by a Northwestern cross-functional group. All the data reflected in your statement has been reviewed and validated by HR and IT professionals. 

Why am I unable to see a Total Compensation Statement?

Total Compensation Statements are available only to Northwestern faculty and staff in a regular appointment with an FTE of 0.50 or greater.

Due to the complicated appointment structure and unique benefit packages, there are a few groups of employees who cannot be provided a Total Compensation Statement.  These include Postdoctoral Fellows, Feinberg faculty eligible for both University and hospital medical insurance, and employees on the Qatar campus. It was never the intention to purposely exclude these groups, but the nature of these appointments and employment types could not be incorporated into the statement at this time.

For new hires, it can take up to 30 days before the statement is generated.

My title is incorrect, how do I change it?

The title displayed on the Total Compensation Statement is what is currently flagged as your primary role in myHR. If you have any questions, please contact your supervisor or askHR at 847-491-4700 or askHR@northwestern.edu.

How often will my Total Compensation Statement be updated?

The online Total Compensation Statement is updated weekly. The statement pulls data from multiple systems, which could cause certain sections to have more recent data than others. 

I’ve changed my medical plan or recently added a dependent. Why aren’t both of my medical plans reflected?

This statement reflects only your current medical plan in which you are enrolled. If you recently added a dependent, it can take up to 30 days before the statement is updated.

If I have questions about the Total Compensation Statement, who do I contact?

Contact askHR at 847-491-4700 or askHR@northwestern.edu.

Pay

What if the Total Compensation Statement does not match my Form W-2?

This statement is not intended to match your Form W-2 as that form is responsible for showing your taxable wages per IRS guidelines. The intention of this statement is to communicate your entire compensation package as a faculty and staff member of the University.

My pay stub has similar information on it as the Total Compensation Statement. What is the difference between the two?

While the Total Compensation Statement does provide some of the same information as your pay stub, it also includes tuition benefits, University contributions to your benefits, 403(b) retirement plan contributions, and taxable fringe benefits all displayed as your total compensation package.

Does this statement include all my jobs at Northwestern?

This statement includes all wages from any current job you have at Northwestern. It does not include any future, unpaid bonuses, commissions, or additional payments.

For faculty, compensation for administrative commitments and overload assignments may be reflected as base pay if the payment is typically included in your regular monthly paycheck. If the administrative commitment is paid as lump sums or additional payments, it will be included in this total after they have been paid. Contact your dean’s office/supervisor for questions about your individual compensation structure.

Why doesn't the statement include my base pay?

If you are on an unpaid leave of absence from the University, your base pay will not be displayed.  Once you return from an unpaid leave you will see your current base pay.

Time Off

Why is my available vacation, personal floating holidays, and sick time different in Workforce Software different from the Total Compensation Statement?

The Total Compensation Statement displays the annualized bank of vacation, personal floating holidays, and sick time as well as its monetary value. You should use Workforce Software as the system of record for your PTO accruals and banks.

How was paid time off calculated?

Vacation is accrued each pay period based on your employee classification, your hours, and if you are part-time, have a 9-month position, etc. Thus each calculation is unique to each employee. Personal floating holidays and sick time are loaded at the start of each fiscal year (Sept. 1).  For more information, see the time off homepage.

Is faculty paid time off included in the statement?

Vacation, holiday, personal floating holiday, and incidental sick time is shown for Library faculty who accrue time off in Workforce Solutions (WFS).  Other faculty who may have time off that is managed by their departments should speak to their supervisor or department administrator for this information.