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A. SALARY SYSTEM Salaries are determined based on job requirements and individual qualifications. The payment schedule and other specific obligations on the school’s part are established according to Colombian labor laws. All employees are paid by direct deposit of funds. All salary adjustments requested at times other than the annual scheduled review time must be requested by the direct supervisor to the Human Resources Office. Final authorization for a salary increase is given by the School Director. The Human Resources Department will review all salary increase/adjustment requests to ensure internal equity and compliance with CNG’s policies and guidelines. Our academic staff salaries are based on their education level and years of teaching experience. The education degree levels are: BA, BA +18, MA, MA+30. The salary is paid monthly and is transferred to a Colombian bank payroll account.
- Change of Degree: CNG's academic staff members are required to notify the Human Resources Department in writing about any changes to their degree status. This change can be achieved by obtaining a Master’s (MA) degree and/or a Doctorate (PhD) degree. Change in degree status can also be attained by earning additional professional development credits in the area of teaching (18 credits for a Bachelor's degree or 30 credits for a second Master's degree). In both scenarios, it is the staff member’s responsibility to submit the appropriate certifications, transcripts and/or Diplomas to the Human Resources Department for review and recommendation to the Director for a change in degree status. Upon final approval from the Director, the staff member will be eligible to change the degree level on the salary scale. All documents must be presented before the end of April of each school year.
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B. ADDITIONAL YEARLY PAYMENTS 1. Prima: Equivalent to one month’s salary per year. This amount is paid in two installments: 50% in December and 50% in June. 2. Cesantías: Equivalent to one month’s salary per year.
This is only applicable to faculty/staff who have a teaching/curricular contract.
It is the responsibility of all employees to notify the Human Resources Department regarding the name of the private fund into which the cesantías will be deposited. 3. Summer Vacation (Receso de Verano) Benefit: Only applicable to faculty/staff who have a teaching/curricular contract. With the June liquidation payment, every staff member will receive the equivalent to their summer vacation time, minus deductions. This is called ‘Vacaciones en dinero’. 4. Housing Allowance: All international CNG staff members receive a monthly housing allowance paid in Colombian pesos. Housing allowance is considered income and therefore included in the mandatory deductions and withholding taxes.
5. Paid Breaks: At the school's discretion, employees may enjoy paid breaks, such as "Winter Break," "October Break," "Thanksgiving Break," "February Break," and "Easter Break," which are considered “Descanso Remunerado." |
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C. MANDATORY DEDUCTIONS
* Depending on the income contribution base, an additional percentage may apply. |
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D. OTHER PAYMENTS 1. National Board Certification: National Board Certification is an assessment program designed to recognize teachers who meet rigorous standards based on what teachers should know and be able to do. It is the highest credential available to teachers in the U.S. There are 25 different certificate areas including library media, school counseling, math, science, social studies, literacy, technology, and English as a new language”. Teachers who achieve National Board Certification will receive a stipend for earning the certification. A copy of the earned certificate must be submitted to Human Resources.
2. Payment for U.S. Degree and/or Teaching Certificate: Locally hired staff may receive a stipend for a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university. The payment amount will increase in accordance with the number of U.S. degrees earned. A separate stipend may be earned for possessing a valid teaching certificate from the United States. The certificate must be currently valid in the U.S. A copy of the diploma and/or teacher’s certificate must be submitted to the Human Resources Department prior to the beginning of the semester in which the teacher becomes eligible.
3. Doctorate (
4. English Teaching Payment - Teacher: All locally hired faculty members who teach in English are eligible for English-teaching payment. To qualify for this payment, faculty members must conduct their classes in English, ensuring their students function effectively in English within the classroom setting. To initially qualify for this payment, teachers must take the TOEFL (Internet-based TOEFL) and achieve a minimum score of 90. The school ONLY covers the cost of the initial test. If a teacher does not achieve the desired results in this test, the payment will not be granted. An employee who is expected to teach in English but did not receive this payment will have his/her contract reviewed for the following school year. CNG alumni and high school graduates from U.S. schools will not be required to take the test unless the Principal and/or the School Director believes the test is necessary. Once the teacher qualifies for the payment, the staff member must maintain the required level of usage. This means that English is expected at all staff meetings except those in the areas of Español and Colombian Sociales. If the payment is denied/lost due to failure to meet the standards, it cannot be reinstated until the following semester.
5. English Speaking Payment – Teacher Assistant and Administrative support Staff: Locally hired Teacher Assistants and Administrative support staff who require regular usage of English are also eligible to receive the English-speaking payment upon successfully passing the required tests. CNG maintains high standards in the use of English for both students and staff. The school reserves the right to establish who should receive this payment; therefore, each case is studied and decided on a case-by-case basis. The amount is set annually by the School Director. To initially receive this payment, teacher assistants and administrative support staff must take the Test of English Proficiency and obtain a score of 128 or more in two areas (Listening & Reading) of the Michigan English Test (MET). The employee may be excused from this test if he/she is a graduate of CNG. The school reserves the right to ask any employee to take this test regardless of his/her previous institutional affiliations. The school covers the cost of the initial test. If the staff member does not achieve the desired results in this test, the payment will not be granted.
An employee risks forfeiting the payment if he or she does not use English consistently in contact with students, parents and other employees and in team, departmental, or staff meetings. Exceptions to the policy are departmental meetings in the areas of Español and Sociales and meetings with parents who do not speak or understand English. If a payment is denied/lost due to abuse of the standards, it cannot be reinstated until the following school year after due follow up by the direct supervisor.
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E. OVERTIME PAY Only Administrative support staff whose labor contract specifically says that the employee is eligible to receive overtime will be paid under this category. Employees eligible to receive overtime pay must post entry and exit time on the clock located on the first floor of the Administration Building. As per Colombian law, overtime is defined as hours worked by an hourly contract in excess of 46 hours in a workweek and will be recorded to the nearest tenth of an hour. The official workday, Monday through Friday begins at 7:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm including lunch. Employees who anticipate the need for overtime to complete the week’s work must notify their direct supervisor in advance and obtain approval before working hours that extend beyond their normal schedule. Overtime must be approved by the employee’s direct supervisor and by the Human Resources Department. Employees must submit their time record weekly as directed by their direct supervisor. Each employee will maintain an accurate daily record of his or her hours worked. During busy periods, employees may be required to work extended hours by their direct supervisor. |
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F. PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS The Forms for Payroll Deductions should be given to the Human Resources Department and approved by the same Department. Payroll deductions may be requested for the following reasons and those determined by law:
The Human Resources Office and the Finance Office reserve the right to make changes to this list at any time subject to approval by the School Director. |
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G. ADVANCE PAYMENTS - ‘ANTICIPOS’ Staff members may request a maximum of two advance payments of their payroll payment per school year. This advance may not exceed 50% of their monthly salary. A form, available in the Office of Human Resources, needs to be completed. Any approved pay advance will be deducted from the following month’s paycheck. No advances are provided on Primas or Stipends. |
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H. END-OF-SCHOOL-YEAR PAYMENT On the last day of school in mid-June, CNG makes the final liquidation payment to all staff members under a curricular/academic contract. All staff members receive payment through a direct deposit to their authorized payroll account. No cash may be given. Checks may be issued if necessary. In order for CNG’s Finance Department to make the transfer, the Human Resources Department must receive the finalized Check-out Form for each of the school areas. The Human Resources department will share the details of the process before the end of the school year. |