Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define and apply the principles of Total Rewards, integrating compensation, benefits, career, and work-life balance.
• Master the process of designing, pricing, and managing competitive pay structures, grades, and pay ranges.
• Analyze market compensation data (surveys) effectively, ensuring external competitiveness and internal equity.
• Develop and administer a legally compliant and strategically aligned benefits package (e.g., retirement, health, wellness).
• Design and manage variable pay plans (e.g., incentives, bonuses, commissions) that drive desired performance.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant wage and hour laws, pay equity legislation, and reporting requirements.
• Develop effective communication strategies to ensure employee understanding and perceived fairness of the **CBR** system.
• Integrate **CBR** strategies with performance management, job evaluation, and talent acquisition functions.

• Compensation and Benefits Specialists and Managers
• HR Leaders and Directors responsible for Total Rewards strategy
• HR Business Partners and Generalists managing pay decisions
• Finance and Budgeting Professionals involved in payroll and compensation planning

• Group exercises analyzing and pricing a job role using external market salary survey data.
• Workshops on designing a variable pay plan (e.g., quarterly bonus scheme) linked to team **KPIs**.
• Case studies analyzing organizational failures due to poor pay equity practices and legal non-compliance.
• Role-playing scenarios practicing communicating a pay decision (e.g., addressing a pay compression issue) to an employee.
• Individual exercises outlining a **Total Rewards** communication strategy for an employee segment.

Unit 1: Total Rewards Strategy and Philosophy

• Defining **Total Rewards**: integrating compensation, benefits, development, recognition, and work environment
• Developing a clear **CBR** philosophy that aligns with the business strategy and talent value proposition
• Understanding internal equity vs. external competitiveness and the legal requirement for pay fairness
• Strategies for managing and justifying the overall compensation and benefits budget and expenditure

Unit 2: Compensation Structure Design and Management

• Mastering job evaluation and grading to establish internal job worth (e.g., point-factor systems)
• Designing competitive pay structures: developing salary grades, pay ranges, midpoints, and overlaps
• Techniques for using salary data to price jobs to the market and maintain a competitive advantage
• Strategies for managing individual pay decisions: merit increases, promotions, and addressing pay compression

Unit 3: Benefits and Variable Pay Programs

• Designing a strategically aligned core benefits package (health, retirement, time-off) and managing costs
• Developing effective short-term and long-term incentive plans (bonuses, profit sharing, stock options)
• The principles of performance-based variable pay: linking payouts directly to measurable **OKRs** or **KPIs**
• Implementing non-monetary recognition and reward programs to drive engagement and morale

Unit 4: Legal Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensuring compliance with key wage and hour laws (e.g., minimum wage, overtime, classification)
• Strategies for conducting a pay equity audit and addressing gender/race pay gaps proactively
• Compliance with benefits regulations and reporting requirements (e.g., tax, disclosure)
• The importance of thorough documentation and record-keeping for all **CBR** decisions

Unit 5: Communication and Administration

• Developing transparent, compelling communication strategies to ensure employee understanding of the **Total Rewards** value
• Training managers on how to effectively communicate pay decisions, benefits, and variable pay outcomes
• Utilizing **HRIS** and compensation management software for efficient **CBR** administration and reporting
• Strategies for continuously monitoring, auditing, and updating the **CBR** system to reflect market changes