Retired staff and faculty are often an untapped resource for colleges and universities. While many retirees would like to stay connected and engaged — with their colleagues, with students, with the campus community as a whole — they just aren’t sure how to do so. 
The letter addresses whether the FLSA requires compensation for the time an employee spends voluntarily participating in certain wellness activities, biometric screenings and benefits fairs.
After Hurricane Harvey inundated Houston, Texas, and the surrounding Harris County with torrential rains and catastrophic flooding last August, Houston Community College was able to resume normal operations in less than two weeks while also providing flexibility and assistance to those students and employees who were most impacted.
According to findings from CUPA-HR’s 2018 Paid Time Off, Tuition, and Retirement Benefits for Higher Education Employees Survey, the percentage of institutions using more than one retirement service provider has decreased from nearly half in 2014 to one-third in 2018.
On July 24, the House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on the Workflex in the 21st Century Act. The bill would amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to create Qualified Flexible Work Arrangement plans under which employers could offer paid time off and flexible work arrangements. 
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of some labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira.
On June 6, Peter B. Robb, general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board, issued guidance to regional directors on how to evaluate workplace rules and handbooks. The guidance applies to handbooks in both union and nonunion workplaces at private-sector employers, including private colleges and universities.