New Overtime Regulations, Increased Parking Costs Center Stage at Staff Senate Meeting

The Latest Meeting Delves into Changes that Affect Staff

The WKU staff senate congregated for its final meeting of the 2024 fiscal year on Wednesday. The discussion revolved around several critical changes, such as the new federal overtime rules and the proposed increase in parking permit costs.

Keynote Presentation on Overtime Regulations

The WKU staff senate had extended an invitation to Michaela Daniel, WKU’s human resource specialist, to elucidate the nuances of the new regulations enacted by the Department of Labor. Pertaining to the Fair Labor Standard Act, these regulations determine the overtime exemptions for WKU staff.

Daniel introduced the definition of an “exempt” employee, who does not qualify for overtime pay, and a “non-exempt”, who does. She further explained that the FLSA proposed a salary threshold of $35,568 in 2019, with an automatic three-year increase, which took effect on January 1, 2020.

Daniel revealed that a proposed salary threshold of $60,209 for 2023 was rejected in favor of $43,888, effective on July 1, 2024. Following the new regulations, any employee classified as “exempt” and earning below this threshold would be reclassified to “non-exempt”. Similarly, employees transitioning into non-exempt status will now need to keep track of their timesheets and migrate to a semi-monthly payroll system.

Employee Training for Smooth Transition

To facilitate a smooth transition, WKU human resources will be launching employee training via Zoom on June 26. Daniel added that employees affected by this alteration would receive detailed email information about the updates next week. Moreover, there will also be separate training for supervisors of affected employees on June 27.

Increased Parking Permit Costs

Discussion during the meeting also included the announcement of a 10% hike in the cost of parking permits for all campus parking. The reason for this increase is due to a $300,000 reallocation from their budget at the administrative level. This is interesting to note that there has not been a raise in parking permit costs since 2019.

Additional Topics of Interest

In the course of the assembly, the staff senate also touched upon topics like the awarding of Christopher Ware Staff Star Award for staff recognition, the new Title IV training regulations presented by WKU’s Title IV coordinator, the announcement of the staff senate members for the new term of 2024-2025, and the new orientation program for new university staff hires.

Continuing Debate and Further Discussions

With the changes set to take place this year, the university is gearing up for a complex transition. Further meetings are to take place, with President Timothy Caboni scheduled to appear at the staff senate on Sept. 3. As the campus navigates these changes, staff members are encouraged to have conversations about budget decisions and stay involved in the decision-making processes.