We are excited to announce that in January 2017, the annual merit increase will now be effective January 1st instead of April 1st!
 
This change better aligns the Essex annual performance review with the merit review.  Only staff with an eligible and approved merit increase will receive their increase effective January 1, 2017. For those who do not have a completed performance evaluation by January 2017, the increase will not go into effect until such evaluation is complete when the increase will be retroactive to the first pay period of 2017.  You may have more questions than those addressed below, however, please note that in general, only the timing of when the merit increase is changing; the process for determining increases is not changing:
 
FAQ
Who is impacted?
All associates who are eligible for an increase.  This means the associate must be in good standing with the company and have been employed for the last quarter of the year.
 
Is this change retroactive for 2016?
No. This change begins in 2017 and forward.
 
What will my increase be?
Your manager will speak to you directly about your 2017 hourly rate or base salary before the end of 2016, or shortly after the new year.
 
Are there any payroll or tax related consequences for receiving my increase in January as opposed to April?
In general, there should not be any tax-related impact to receiving your merit increase in January (if you do receive an increase), but if you have any specific questions or a unique situation, please contact your tax advisor.

Questions?
Contact humanresources@essex.com.