Labor Department Publishes Final Overtime Rule: What Campuses Need to Know
September 27, 2019

The Department of Labor (DOL) this week published the final rule increasing the salary threshold for white-collar exemptions to the federal overtime pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rule—which has been in play for several years now—is likely to impact most campuses.

ACE worked with CUPA-HR and other associations to submit comments on the draft rule earlier this year, offering support for DOL's decision to update the salary threshold from $23,660 to $35,308 annually. Going forward, the rule requires that an update take place every four years. The Obama administration proposed an increase to $47,476 that was blocked by a federal court in November 2016, but this new threshold is more in line with the higher education community's recommendations.

The text of the final rule is currently pending publication in the Federal Register. DOL has issued several fact sheets, a Q&A document and other materials on the rule. In addition, CUPA-HR has a number of resources that can help in understanding the impact on campuses:

Colleges and universities must be in compliance with the new rule by Jan. 1, 2020.