GILL — Thanks to a $13,000 Community Compact grant, Gill will work with the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management on a wage classification study, the first that Gill has done in roughly two decades.

The goal of the study is to update the wage scale of town employees and review job descriptions, employee grades and salary ranges. The Collins Center will review current structures and provide suggestions for improvements.

“We were seeing a lot of indicators that the way things are classified, it was time for an update,” Town Administrator Ray Purington said about the need for a new study. These indicators included difficulty hiring candidates within the existing pay scale, along with changes in the economy. “That’s when I started looking for grant assistance to update the wage scale when [the grant applications] opened this year.”

The Selectboard meeting materials from Monday contain a breakdown of the 20 positions the Collins Center will review, including positions that are currently staffed. Town employees will also be interviewed by the Collins Center to gain an understanding of the positions. As the study begins, the goal will be to have an initial project meeting and complete a draft of position descriptions.

Since a wage and classification study hasn’t been conducted in Gill in roughly two decades, Purington believes there will be pay shifts when the study is complete.

“I won’t be surprised if there are a number of positions that need to be adjusted,” he said, pointing to the difference in minimum wage requirements.

Although the study won’t begin for another few weeks, Purington said he is looking forward to seeing what recommendations are made and how the town will move forward.

Other completed studies

Gill is the latest town to contract with the Collins Center for a wage classification study. Earlier this month, a representative from the Collins Center presented its findings to the Montague Selectboard and Town Administrator Walter Ramsey.

To classify each job, a letter grade classification system was used from A to I, with A being the highest grade and I the lowest. These grades were determined based on multiple factors, and the only position given an A grade classification was town administrator.

The study provided a labor market salary survey that evaluated what the town currently pays employees versus what 14 other municipalities in the area pay town employees to get an idea of what the local labor market looks like.

The study looks at the local labor market based on average and median pay.

“The analysis of median pay removes the outlying data points. The labor market salary data is gathered using hourly rates for the purpose of comparisons,” Montague’s study states.

The study determined that Montague pays within the local labor market rates. Currently, Montague pays a maximum of $63.71 for a town administrator position, the only role classified as an A grade, compared to the study’s recommended maximum at $64. An I grade position, such as a Department of Public Works custodian, pays a maximum of $20.12, compared to the recommended maximum of $23.

“Many of Montague’s pay rates are below the survey maximum of the market ranges. However, that does not mean the positions are underpaid,” Montague’s study reads. “A more accurate analysis is to analyze if the current pay is within the labor market. When that is done, the data shows the majority of Montague’s rates of pay are within the labor market.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.