On August 30, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed an increase to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA’s) annual salary-level threshold to $55,068 from $35,568 for ‘white-collar’ exemptions to overtime requirements. The department also is proposing automatic increases every three years to the overtime threshold. Once published in the Federal Register, the proposal will be subject to a 60-day public comment period.

After the public comment period, the DOL will take time to review the feedback before it issues a final rule.

As with past proposed changes to FLSA, NIRSA will work with several of our student affairs partner organizations to submit comments that highlight some of the unique aspects of the student affairs profession and ask those considerations be accounted for.

In 2016, a similar rule was finalized, but never went into effect due to litigation. After the administration changed, that rule was withdrawn. The rule was last updated in 2019, establishing the lower salary limit of $35,568.

NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee will be continuing to monitor and discuss this issue.

Learn more about this topic via the DOL’s FAQ page or register for a free webinar by CUPA-HR on September 21, at 12:00pm Eastern/9:00am Pacific, “CUPA-HR Washington Update: How the DOL’s Proposed Changes to Overtime Rules Could Impact Campus.

About the NIRSA Government Affairs Committee

NIRSA’s Government Affairs Committee monitors legislative issues relevant to campus recreation being discussed at the state and U.S. federal levels and will determine what stance, if any, NIRSA will take on them. The committee’s charges place additional emphasis on setting a policy agenda for the Association and prioritizing communication and education around emerging issues.

The Committee helps NIRSA by communicating policy and legislative issues impacting higher education and NIRSA’s value areas with members, providing them the tools to be informed and knowledgeable. The Committee also strives to help members understand the impact these issues have on their work in the campus recreation field, and also advocates to empower member voices in these larger conversations so that the higher education policy world can understand the importance of campus recreation in these issues. Learn more.

Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at | NIRSA Profile

Erin O'Sullivan is currently the Director of Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships at NIRSA.