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We've had similar concerns, and issued the attached email to our supervisors and business personnel after we received a small flurry of questions.  I saw a rough estimate of 700 for the number of affected employees in our college, but that figure is stadiumetrics at best.  We won't submit comments directly, as our university system will do that on our behalf.  If this comes to fruition it will be important to check closely the list of exemptions, as those might help academia.
Regards,
Bill

William N. Cheesborough
Director of Finance & Administration
College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
215 Conner Hall
University of Georgia
Phone: (706) 542-2373

From: Extension Service Personnel Officers in the Southern Region [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Donna Rothberg
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 2:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Proposed changes to the FLSA overtime regulations

Friends,

We have some serious concerns about the proposed changes to the FLSA overtime regulations and the impact these changes may have on the way we do business at Research and Extension.

As you know, the proposed rule sets the salary level for overtime exemption eligibility at the 40th percentile of weekly earnings for FT salaried workers, which for 2016 is projected to be $970 a week or $50,440 annually. The DOL is proposing to update the salary level automatically on an annual basis, either based on percentiles of earnings or changes in inflation. In addition, the DOL is also considering changes to the duties test.

We have many extension educators and exempt employees with salaries below the proposed threshold who routinely work over 40 hours per week. Above and beyond funding issues, we may be facing a host of other challenges and hard decisions, from requiring agents and agricultural professionals to complete time sheets, to restricting educator cell phone/tablet/laptop use outside working hours, to benefits and leave accrual issues, and potential salary compression issues, just to name a few.


Are you having similar concerns and discussions? Have you estimated the number of your currently exempt employees below the proposed salary threshold or the potential overtime these folks may be working? Do you plan to submit comments to the DOL by September 4, 2015?



Any information and/or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Donna


Donna Rothberg
Director of Human Resources
UA Cooperative Extension Service
2301 S. University Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72204
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
www.uaex.edu<http://www.uaex.edu>
phone (501) 671-2219
fax (501) 671-2251

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