Employee communications announcing the changes to FLSA and its impact on campus.
Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor approved changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that go into effect on December 1, 2016. These changes are intended to provide greater clarity on overtime eligibility for workers and employers and to support greater work-life balance for employees.
Specifically, the new federal rule raises the salary threshold required to qualify for an exemption from overtime to $47,476 per year. This will be the first change to the FLSA since 2004, and it is estimated to extend overtime protections to more than 4.2 million employees nationwide.
The new rule extends to higher education institutions and includes a number of provisions that recognize the unique function of colleges and universities. A detailed explanation of these provisions can be found in the document: Overtime Final Rule and Higher Education.
We are working with the University System of Maryland to understand and assess the impact of the new legislation on our campus community. As always, our goal is to support the members of our community, and we are committed to developing approaches to implementation that place the support of our people first and foremost.
As we continue to receive feedback from campus leaders, partners, and shared governance groups on the best approach to implementing the new requirements, we have established a list of frequently asked questions about the changes and how they may affect you. A more detailed message outlining new policies and procedures associated with the new rule will be issued in the coming weeks. We encourage you to contact the Department of Human Resources or your shared governance groups if you have any questions or comments regarding these changes.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to ensure an equitable solution for our employees that best serves the needs of our campus community.
President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous