D355A_Total_Rewards

Course Description and Competencies

What to Expect

In this course, you will work through three modules of course material. Each module is broken into smaller units, which are comprised of lessons. Studying this material will help you build foundational knowledge of compensation strategy, pay types and systems, and employee benefits management.

At the end of each lesson, you will be able to check your understanding of the material with optional quizzes called Lightning Rounds. You will also have the opportunity to work through an Assessment Practice after the second and third modules. Engaging with these activities will help you gauge your readiness for taking the final performance assessments.

Prerequisites:

Employment and Labor Law (D352A) and Talent Acquisition (D354A) are prerequisites for this course.

Course Competencies

This course covers the following competencies:

The learner explains how strategic compensation practices support an organization’s objectives.
The learner evaluates various pay types and systems to ensure market competitiveness and consistency within an organization.
The learner evaluates discretionary and legally required benefits to determine whether they are appropriate for a total rewards approach.

Assessment

In this course, you will complete two performance assessments. The assessments provide an opportunity to demonstrate your mastery of the competencies in this course. You must achieve a ranking of Competent on each assessment to pass the course. You may attempt each assessment two times before additional support is necessary. If you require further attempts, please contact your Course Instructor or Student Experience Specialist.

2 Performance Assessments

3 Competency Units

Course Outline

Module	Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
Compensation Strategy	Explain compensation and how it supports organizational strategy. Describe the internal and external influences on compensation decisions. Explain person-focused pay.
Pay Types and Systems	Describe types of pay and the role of performance appraisals in merit pay. Describe the performance appraisal process and the link between performance and pay. Describe the process of implementing incentive pay plans. Explain person-focused pay. Describe the use of job analysis in ensuring internal consistency of jobs. Describe the process of job evaluation. Describe the process of building a market-competitive compensation system and how to map internal jobs to the market structure. Define pay structures and how they are used to recognize employee contributions.
Employee Benefits Management	Explain the types of discretionary benefits. Describe legislation pertinent to discretionary benefits. Explain the considerations for designing an employee benefits program. Explain how to communicate a benefits program to employees. Summarize legally required benefits and their origins. Describe alternative health insurance program designs and their costs and benefits. Describe executive compensation, who is eligible for it, and applicable regulatory concepts. Explain the types of contingent workers and the strategic reasons companies use them.

Technology Requirements

We want to be sure you have the tools to succeed! Review the Computer System and Technology Requirements to learn about the technology you'll need. If you have questions about your setup, contact support@academy.wgu.edu.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. If you haven't already, download this free software. You may encounter an interactive form that contains fields that you can select or fill in. Review how to fill in a PDF form.

Key Contacts

Certificate Connect
Check out this online community to take advantage of course resources, including videos and tips from your educators. You can ask and answer questions, provide feedback on your progress, and interact with fellow students. You will find this platform in the Student Resources section of the course. Log on and do some exploring!

Technical Support
If you encounter technical issues, be sure to contact the Help Desk. Just submit a Support Request for assistance.

Program Support
Do you have questions about your account? Student Support has answers. They can help with billing, switching courses, and other requests. You can contact them at (888) 320-0540 or support@academy.wgu.edu.

Accommodations

WGU provides compliant and accessible learning experiences. If you require accommodation, please contact us at the start of the course. You can email disability@academy.wgu.edu or call (888) 320-0540.

We are committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities have equal access to WGU's services and materials. We strive to use best practices for accessibility. Our goal is to conform to existing U.S. laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Our learning management system (LMS) platform is Open edX. Open edX’s commitment to accessible content is published in their Website Accessibility Policy.