Last year brought major changes to the higher education landscape. Turnover reached a peak, prompting more attention than ever to retention and recruitment, while looming policy changes in overtime pay and Title IX regulations further complicated long-term planning. And, though it may feel like unprecedented change is the new normal, timeless HR topics like onboarding... View Article
On May 21, CUPA-HR, joined by 18 other higher education associations, filed substantive comments in response to the Department of Labor (DOL)’s proposed update to the salary threshold for the “white collar” exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s overtime pay requirements. DOL’s update formally rescinds the 2016 rule, proposes increasing the current level... View Article
On February 16, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled “Federal Wage and Hour Policies in the Twenty-First Century Economy” to examine the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the dramatically transformed workplace since the law’s enactment in 1938. CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley was one of... View Article
Following months of preparation for the December 1 FLSA changes, the injunction issued on November 22 temporarily stopped implementation, requiring quick action by higher ed HR and other campus leaders. Thanks to quick responses from chief HR officers from across the country, CUPA-HR is pleased to provide a comprehensive summary of the actions taken by... View Article
Update: On November 22, a U.S. District Court judge from Texas issued a preliminary injunction postponing the effective date of the overtime rule, meaning the rule will not go into effect on December 1. With less than 30 days left until the rule raising the Fair Labor Standards Act’s exempt salary threshold to $47,476 takes... View Article
At the CUPA-HR Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. last week, I sat in on the FLSA overtime and legal update Super Sessions and “overheard” a lot of online conversation from attendees. First, attendees joined an FLSA overtime discussion panel that included Andy Brantley, president and chief executive officer of CUPA-HR; Lynn Bynum, chief human resources officer at... View Article
On June 9, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing to examine the consequences of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Overtime Rule on workers, students, nonprofits and small businesses. The hearing provided an opportunity and a platform for universities and nonprofits to voice concerns about the negative consequences of DOL’s rule,... View Article
Updated July 6, 2016 On May 18, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final rule on overtime eligibility, raising the minimum salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. Employers must be in compliance by December 1 of this year, which leaves very little time for what’s sure to be a lot of work. If you’re... View Article
As efforts to influence changes to the proposed FLSA overtime regulations continue, the grassroots organization Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (of which CUPA-HR is a member) has released a video featuring the voices of higher education (including CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley), nonprofits, small businesses and employees who would be adversely affected by the proposed... View Article
On March 29, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Tim Walberg (R-MI) hosted a field hearing — “The 21st Century Workforce: How Current Rules and Regulations Affect Innovation and Flexibility in Michigan’s Workplaces” — to discuss how current government regulations impact workers and job creators in Michigan. Rep. Walberg was joined by his colleague,... View Article
On March 14, the Department of Labor submitted the final rule for “Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees” to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA, part of the president’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is required to review all draft and final standards as well... View Article
On February 25, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) where the Acting Secretary of Education, John B. King Jr., answered committee members’ questions about the Department of Education’s role implementing the law. During the hearing, Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI) asked for the Secretary’s... View Article
The February 16 webinar, “FLSA Overtime: How, When and Why to Prepare,” was the largest in CUPA-HR history. With 1,884 sites logged in and 2,500+ participating, the topic is obviously top of mind for all of us in higher ed HR. Presenters provided background information regarding the proposed changes to the overtime regulations and specific... View Article
On February 1, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a symposium to highlight the impact the proposed FLSA overtime regulations will have on vulnerable employers (think small businesses, nonprofits, academic institutions and state and local governments). As part of the event, CUPA-HR chief government relations officer Josh Ulman and Barbara Carroll, chief HR officer at... View Article
In preparation for the pending FLSA overtime announcement, CUPA-HR will be hosting a 90-minute webinar on February 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Developed in partnership with Sibson Consulting and several higher ed HR practitioners from across the country, the webinar will focus on the dynamic challenges higher ed institutions face in responding to the proposed... View Article