This webpage is part of the broader Equitable Community Engagement Guide for Disability Inclusion. This Guide can also be accessed as a downloadable document: Equitable Community Engagement Guide for Disability Inclusion (MS Word).
Guiding Principles for Equitable Compensation
The following guiding principles for equitable compensation are adapted from the Urban Institute, 2023 (PDF).
- Offer compensation that reflects your respect for community members’ expertise. Compensation rates should reflect the importance of community contributions to the project.
- Be transparent and honest. Share project goals and budget and compensation forms and timelines with all community members, both during community engagement promotion and at the start of the community engagement. Ensure that you communicate early and often.
- Seek community feedback on equitable compensation structures. The importance of community engagement also extends to compensation structures. Listen to and center community feedback at the outset of and throughout the relationship.
- Strive for flexibility in your compensation structure. This may include offering different options or alternatives for compensation (ex. different gift card options, option for gift card or WatCard honorarium).
What is Not Compensation
The following items are necessary for accessibility or reimbursement for cost of participation, as well as beneficial to build trust and comfort with community members. However, they are not replacements for compensation. Ensure that participants are informed if the following will be provided.
- Accessibility costs, such as ASL interpretation or alternate formats, or required to ensure inclusive and accessible engagement. These costs should be budgeted for separately from compensation.
- Shared food during community engagement can be an important cultural consideration for building community, trust, and comfort.
- Transportation costs may be necessary to support community members in getting to the community engagement.
- Childcare costs or arrangements can ensure that all community members are able to attend the community engagement.
- The use of draws or incentives may be used due to lack of resources. For example, participants could participate in community engagement for the chance to win a WatCard payment or gift card. Ensure that you are still following the guiding principles of equitable compensation and clearly communicating changes to participants.
Determining Compensation Rates
When determining how much money should be given for a monetary compensation, consider the following list:
- Audience (ex. equity-denied community or community-at-large; student, staff, or faculty; University of Waterloo employee or non-employee)
- Type of community engagement (ex. interview, focus group, survey)
- Time commitment of community engagement
- Emotional labour required to participate (ex. are you asking equity-denied community members to relive traumatic or painful events?)
- Relevance to pre-existing job description (ex. is this community engagement part of their required duties and activities?)
- Related policies around compensation (ex. how does you compensation structure compare to the payment of wages?)
Determining Compensation Form
The following table highlights the rationale for different forms of compensation and considerations to ensure equitable compensation when choosing a particular format.
| Compensation Form | Rationale for Use | Considerations for Equitable Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Gift card |
Physical gift cards can provide timely, immediate compensation. Gift cards may be received negatively due to the historical tendency for those in power to dictate how members of equity-denied groups spend their money. |
Provide a choice between 2-4 gift card types to ensure relevance to each unique community member. Ensure that virtual gift cards are delivered in a timely fashion. Consider Human Resource's Honorarium policy. |
| WatCard honorarium | WatCard payments are most relevant to students who use their WatCard often, as opposed to staff and faculty. |
Ensure that WatCard honoraria are processed and delivered in a timely fashion. Consider Human Resource's Honorarium policy. |
| Payroll honorarium |
Payroll honoraria are most relevant to staff and faculty who are already in the Human Resources payroll system. Payroll honoraria may create barriers for folx who do not have or use SIN numbers, for example some people from Indigenous communities. |
Honoria are processed bi-weekly. This can create delays in payment. Consider Human Resource's Honorarium policy. |
| Direct payment |
Direct payment does not tie the community members directly to the University and can protect their confidentiality surrounding personal information. Direct payment can provide timely, immediate compensation. Examples of direct payment: cash, cheque, e-transfer |
Provide options for direct payment that protect community members' need for confidentiality, including not sharing home address or banking information. Consider Human Resource's Honorarium policy. |
| Tenure-track record of service letter | For tenure-track faculty members, letters can support required records of service, thus supporting the integration of community engagement into faculty roles. | Be upfront and transparent about the compensation form and timeline for faculty members to receive letters. |
| Integration of community engagement into job description |
For staff members, compensation may come in the form of direct integration of the community engagement activities into their official job description. This would require conversations with the direct supervisor and advocating for the importance of community engagement to broader institutional goals. This form of compensation may allow for staff with diverse job positions to engage, including those with and without flexible work hours. |
Budget for enough time to have meaningful conversations with supervisors and ensure that you are checking back with both the community member and their supervisor to advise on the project's progress. |