FLSA Minimum Salary Update

July 18, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

As you know, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) with respect to the minimum salary threshold for overtime eligibility for employees across the country.  These changes will have some impact on Columbia University, as they will on most employers in the United States. The salary threshold will increase in two steps: July 1, 2024 the threshold increases to $844 per week ($43,888 per year); January 1, 2025 the threshold increases to $1,128 per week ($58,656 per year)

Key provisions of the law

  • Employees who earn less than $43,888 annually (or $844 per week) will be eligible for overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours in a week. This threshold will increase again on January 1, 2025 to $58,656 (or $1,128 per week).
  • There is no proration for part-time employees. An employee must earn $844 per week, regardless of the number of hours worked, or be converted to a position that is overtime eligible.
  • This salary level will be adjusted again on January 1, 2025.

What does this mean for Columbia University?

A cross-campus working group has reviewed the new federal regulations and the Columbia University employee population.

The changes apply to officers of research and officers of the libraries who currently earn less than $844 per week ($43,888 per year). This change does not impact officers of administration, as they are already covered by the New York State minimum salary thresholds.

What does this mean for full-time officers?

Full-time officers of research and officers of the libraries are already paid at the higher, University-established salary minimums, so this change will not have an impact on full-time officers.

What does this mean for current part-time officers?

Effective July 2024, all part-time officers of research and of the libraries who earn less than $844 per week will be converted to a new employment category – Hourly Officers. If you have already reappointed a part-time officer of research or of the libraries at the new $844/week rate, you cannot reduce the salary and convert them to an hourly officer until their next appointment renewal.  Individuals moved into the new hourly officer category will be required to submit timesheets on a bi-weekly basis, in accordance with their local department practice for timesheets.

Hourly Officers will be converted to the bi-weekly pay cycle, and will be paid every other Friday beginning on Friday, August 30, 2024.

All requirements related to length of appointment remain in place. Part-time officers of research and of the libraries must not work more than 18 hours per week during the term of their appointments. If you have questions, please reach out to the Office of the Provost or CUIMC Office of Faculty Affairs, as applicable.

What does this mean for new part-time officers?

Effective July 2024, newly hired/rehired/reappointed officers of research and officers of the libraries must either be paid at a rate no less than $844/week or be hired as an hourly officer. Schools and departments should follow their existing process on how to request new position numbers for hourly officers of research or of the libraries.

Next Steps

  • The Provost’s Office, CUIMC Faculty Affairs, and CUIMC Payroll will work directly with those departments who have officers that are impacted by the DOL FLSA changes.
    • Detailed lists of the employees affected by this change, and the process to update their employment classification will be provided to the departmental administrators for those schools/departments in the next couple of weeks. Schools/departments with no employees impacted by the FLSA changes will not receive any additional information at this time.
    • Schools/departments must set the minimum hourly rate to be equivalent of a full-time employee in the same role. Example: if you hire an hourly officer as a Staff Associate I, their minimum hourly rate as per 2024-25 Provost’s minimum salary guidelines is $62,400/(35*52) which equals to $34.29 per hour.
    • Deadlines for submission of changes will be provided along with the employee lists.
  • Communication materials including template letters will be provided for departmental administrators and/or managers to use to notify the individual employees.
  • Communication to impacted employees will be delivered by a combination of departmental administrators, department HR and/or managers.
  • A NYS 195 form will need to be completed and signed by each employee who is either receiving an increase or who is being converted to an Hourly Officer. The signed forms must be submitted with the transaction.

Questions

Please contact any of the following individuals with specific questions:

For information about appointments:

  • Morningside campus:  please contact Carmen DeLeon, Associate Provost for Academic Appointments, [email protected]  or Zeid Sitnica, Associate Provost for Academic Appointments, [email protected]
  • CUIMC:  please contact Lenny Ruiz, Senior Executive Director, CUIMC Payroll Service Center, [email protected], or Dionida Ryce, Assistant Vice President for Academic Appointments and Professionalism, [email protected].