The Higher Ed Workplace Blog

As Congress prepares to vote on legislation establishing June 19 as a federal holiday, we are exploring ways institutions can observe this momentous occasion in U.S. history. Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, has not always been widely recognized. Expanding your campus community’s knowledge of Juneteenth and its significance can help foster a more inclusive environment that encourages the voices of the Black community to be heard. So, how will your institution observe the day?

CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard highlights recent rulings around two workplace harassment claims, a school district disciplining a student for a social media post that could have First Amendment ramifications for higher and the NCAA, EEOC guidance for employers offering incentives to encourage employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and more.

On June 10, OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) establishing requirements employers must follow to limit workers potential COVID-19 exposure for those employees providing health care services and health care support services. Employers must comply with most provisions within 14 days of the regulation being published in the federal register, and with provisions involving physical barriers, ventilation and training within 30 days of publication in the register.

June is Pride Month, and many institutions are hosting LGBTQ+ programming and events to spread the message of inclusion in higher ed. HR pros can further this message and help make LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff feel seen, heard and valued by learning about the barriers and experiences of these individuals and ways to advocate for them.

On June 1, CUPA-HR, joined by five other higher education associations, submitted comments in response to the Department of Labor’s Request for Information (RFI) about data and methods for determining prevailing wage levels for temporary and permanent immigrant and non-immigrant employees, including employees on H1-B visas.

May is Mental Health Month, and we’re homing in on three facets of higher education that impact mental health: campus culture, resources and workplace flexibility. This blog post is Part III of the three-part series. Here, we’ll discuss how institutions can lean into flexible work arrangements and how flexible work can support more diverse, equitable and inclusive hiring.

On May 28, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic and posted a new resource for job applicants and employees. The expanded technical assistance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination.

On May 26, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of Form I-9 compliance flexibilities that was initially granted last year. Citing continued precautions due to COVID-19, the announcement declared that the flexibilities would be extended until August 31, 2021.

May is Mental Health Month, and we’re homing in on three facets of higher education that impact mental health: campus culture, resources, and work flexibility. Here, in Part II of the three-part series, we’ll look at some of the barriers that prevent employees from utilizing resources, and how some approaches from the corporate world can offer inspiration for higher ed.

The higher ed professional workforce decreased slightly in size during the pandemic, though certain positions saw notable increases. According to CUPA-HR’s 2021 Professionals in Higher Education Annual Report released today, the number of full-time exempt higher ed employees decreased by 0.4 percent in the last year (2020-21), compared to an overall 4.4 percent increase in the prior year.