FAQs

Each regular staff employee is entitled to receive a 1.5 percent increase every two years up to a maximum of four during an employee’s lifetime. Current staff are grandfathered in, meaning their total number of ULP increases may be more than four but are limited to a maximum of four more ULP increases effective August 1, 2018. Please see examples below for a clearer understanding.

Example 1:

• I was hired Jan 2014, received my first ULP increase in Jan 2016, second ULP increase Jan 2018.
• I was reclassified with a pay change PRIOR to August 1, 2018.
• I will receive 4 more ULP increases for a total of 6 ULP increases in my employee lifetime.

Example 2:

• I was hired January 2016, received my first ULP increase in January 2018.
• I was reclassified effective August 1, 2018.
• I will receive 3 more ULP increases for a total of 4 ULP increases in my employee lifetime.

Example 3:

• I was hired January 2010, received my first ULP increase in January 2012.
• Second ULP increase January 2014.
• Third ULP increase January 2016.
• Fourth ULP increase January 2018
• I was reclassified effective August 1, 2018.
• I will receive no more ULP increases.

Yes, you are eligible for 1 more ULP increase

Yes, although your title is not eligible for any increases, you are grandfathered and may receive 3 more increases. A new hire into the Assistant Vice President title will not receive any ULP increases. If you leave that job title for another job title that is not eligible, you will forfeit your grandfathering status.

If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.

For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.

The additional 3.5 hours would not be claimed.

Yes, they would enter their time normally as if they were in the office. If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.

For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.

The employee cannot claim any hours outside of those in the example unless they were actually working those hours.

The employee is replacing their normal work/duty station for the day. In this manner, the trip to N. Austin is their daily commute. The extra driving time is non-compensable.

Normal commuting travel is non-compensable. The remainder of the work day is compensable. As part of the doctor’s appointment you can claim sick leave.

If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.

For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.

Exception For Driving – If you are going to be out of town more than one day and you are driving, the drive time from portal to portal is considered compensable time. Co-workers riding as passengers are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.

If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.

For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday. Yes, adjust only the timeframe the employee was traveling during these hours, as appropriate.

Exception For Driving – If you are going to be out of town more than one day and you are driving, the drive time from portal to portal is considered compensable time. Co-workers riding as passengers are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.

Record Saturday for time spent at the conference during the day as specified by the conference agenda as normal work hours. Attendance at social events (such as happy or networking hours) outside of the conference agenda is not compensable time.

If the employee is driving then all of the time spent driving is compensable. Otherwise, travel time outside of those regular working hours is non-compensable. If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time. Co-workers riding as passenger(s) are not eligible for the driving exception unless they are actually working.

For example, your normal work schedule is 8 – 5 Monday – Friday. You can claim work time for travel between 8 – 5 any day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday.

No, if you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.  Meal periods are not compensable.

For a one-day conference, the employee is replacing their normal commute for the travel to/from the conference. Such time is non-compensable.  The mileage and food cost is subject to the institution’s reimbursement policies.

That is considered the normal commute time for the day and is non-compensable. The employee is replacing their normal commute for the travel to/from the conference. Such time is non-compensable.

No the remaining two hours are not considered work time if you are not doing work related activities. Normal commute time is non compensable.

If you travel during your normal work hours it will be counted as work time. Also, if you travel during what is considered your normal work hours on weekends and holidays it will also count as work time. Travel during other times is not considered work time.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. It requires overtime compensation (at time and one-half) for all hours worked over 40 hours in a week for nonexempt employees.

Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime for hours actually worked over 40 in a workweek. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime.   

There have been several federal changes made. The most significant change is that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) raised the minimum salary for an employee to be designated as exempt (not eligible for overtime pay) from $23,660 per year ($455 per week) to $35,568 per year ($684 per week).

The updated regulations go into effect on January 1, 2020.

Some employees are moving from exempt to non-exempt status. If you are changing to non-exempt status, this means you can now earn overtime compensation at a rate of time and one-half for all hours physically worked over 40 in a week (Sunday – Saturday). This change in status is simply a difference in the timekeeping and payroll process. You will now need to record all time worked in SAP, not just leave taken.

As a manager/supervisor, you are responsible for approving the time entered by your nonexempt employees.

No. In this case, the change in FLSA status refers only to the way your pay is calculated, not the level or professional nature of the work that you are doing. It is a difference in the timekeeping and payroll process and will ensure you are paid at time and one-half correctly for all hours physically worked over 40 in a week.

In general…no. A small number of employees have received pay raises to maintain their exempt status.  If you are one of these employees, you will be notified by your department.

Since FLSA status (exempt or non-exempt) is determined based on the job, all regular full-time employees within the same job title will have the same FLSA status.

Employees who do not fall within rules governing the exempt classifications will not be affected by the new Overtime Rule because these workers are already entitled to overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours per week, regardless of the amount of money they make. The changes to the Overtime Rule will not affect that.

Yes, any overtime must be pre-approved by your supervisor. If you do not request approval from your supervisor, it is a violation of policy and may result in disciplinary action.

No. FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees time and one-half of your regular rate of pay for all hours physically worked over 40 in a workweek. Annual leave, holidays, and sick leave hours are not actually “worked” and are therefore not considered as hours counted towards time and one-half overtime under FLSA. However, you would get straight State comp time in those cases if the total Sunday-Saturday workweek goes beyond 40 hours.

No, the new status will not affect vacation accrual.

No. Your leave accrual will remain the same. However, as a non-exempt employee, you will report all of your hours worked and any leave taken each day in SAP.

Changing from exempt to non-exempt will not affect your benefits in any way.

Nothing. If you already earned State Comp Time as an exempt employee, those hours will remain in your balance and expire at the end of twelve months like normal.

For regular employees, the FLSA overtime earned will be banked for taking time off at a later date. The hours do not expire.

NSNR employees will be paid all FLSA Overtime hours each payroll period.

Overtime rules for conferences and training:

The FLSA provides guidance related to attendance at conferences and training events. This guidance is summarized below.

Time need not be counted as hours worked if all of the criteria listed here are met:

• Attendance is outside the employee’s regular work hours.
• Attendance is voluntary.
• The course, lecture, meeting is not directly related to the employee’s job.
• The employee does no productive work while in attendance.

If these criteria are not met the time spent in attendance at a training event, conference or workshop is considered compensable time.

Remember, training that is 1) involuntary, 2) related to the employee’s job, 3) during regular working hours, or  is 4)  productive is considered compensable work time.

Travel time is generally compensable during regular working hours on work days and during regular working hours on weekends. We have a compensable travel time chart available for your reference under additional resources.

A reclassification is a technical adjustment of a position’s title to ensure that the job title adequately describes the job duties and responsibilities performed by the employee. A reclassification requires a job audit from Human Resources to determine the appropriate job title for the assigned duties and responsibilities. An audit also ascertains the appropriate FLSA overtime status and EEO category.

A promotion does not require an audit and is based on merit and an employee’s performance. A promotion can occur when the department has a vacant position to promote an employee into. Occasionally an audit is needed to create a new position into which the department can promote an employee.

HR needs a requisition sent through administrative channels via the EASY system. The requesting department needs to add the organizational chart, job analysis form, and justification memo to the requisition. Once the requisition and attachments are received by HR the audit is placed on our schedule. Audits are handled in the order in which they are received.

HR attempts to complete audits as soon as possible, but due to work load and audit volume we anticipate  2 to 3 work weeks after receipt of all of the required documentation. Audits are handled in the order received. Currently HR is completing most audits within 5-6 work days.

Every requisition that is sent through administrative channels for a job audit must be approved by the appropriate vice president and the budget office.

The vice president approves the audit request. The budget office approves funding for the audit result, either for the new position or to fund any proposed increase as the result of a reclassification audit.

UPPS 04.04.11 states: A transfer means a change to another position with the same or lower pay grade minimum salary. It is not the result of a disciplinary action. A department may transfer an employee to an equivalent position or title under the same account manager or within the same account, as necessary. An employee may request a transfer to an equivalent or lower position or title under the same account manager or within the same account. The PCR will show the granted transfer as a voluntary transfer, not a demotion.

1. Transfer to an un-posted position with the same pay grade – The department head may place the employee’s salary at any rate in the new pay grade but not more than the employee’s current salary. Additionally, there is a required 90-calendar-day waiting period before a pay adjustment may be made.
2. Transfer to an un-posted position with a lower pay grade—The department head may place the employee’s salary at the employee’s current rate or the new pay grade maximum whichever is lower. Additionally, there is a required 90-calendar-day waiting period before a pay adjustment may be made.
3. Transfer to a posted position with no posted rate – The department head may place the employee’s salary at the employee’s current rate or the new pay grade maximum whichever is lower. Additionally, there is a required 90-calendar-day waiting period before a pay adjustment may be made.
4. Transfer to a posted position with a posted rate –If a single rate was posted, the employee’s salary must be placed at that posted single rate. If a rate range was posted, the employee’s salary may be placed anywhere within the pay plan range for the posted title but no higher than the employee’s current rate or the maximum of the new pay grade whichever is lower. Additionally, there is a required 90 calendar day waiting period before any pay adjustment may be made.

UPPS 04.04.11 states: Promotion Compensation (Staff) – As distinguished from a  reclassification, means a change to a position title in a higher pay grade.

1. Promotion to an un-posted position or to a position with no posted rate – The department head may place the employee’s salary at any rate in the new pay grade.
2. Promotion to a posted position with a posted rate/range – If a single rate was posted, the employee’s salary must be placed at the posted single rate.  If a rate range was posted, the employee’s salary may be placed anywhere within the pay plan range for the posted title but no higher than the maximum of the posted range.

University policy provides for pay increases in several ways: University Longevity Pay, Market adjustments, and Merit pay.

University Longevity is awarded every two years of employment for up to 4 times based on the employee’s hire date. Each increase is 1.5%. Some personnel actions (reclassifications, promotions, etc) increase the number of ULP increases an employee may receive by resetting their ULP calendar and making them eligible for 4 additional ULP increases.

In addition, Human Resources provides management with recommendations to update the university’s pay plan which may also result in a pay increase for those employees who fall below the new pay plan minimum.

A merit pay increase is discretionary and it is up to the immediate supervisor and the department’s chain of command to determine the amount of merit increase to grant an employee.

In addition, supervisors may grant a pay increase with appropriate approvals through administrative channels at any time as a “salary adjustment.”

HR has developed a degree validation process that assists in determining whether or not a degree is an absolute bona fide requirement of the job. A validation process is completed to ensure that the university’s minimum job requirements are valid and are based on verifiable and validated knowledge, skills and abilities. Most staff jobs do not require a degree as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) and the knowledge, skill and ability that it takes to perform the critical functions of most jobs can be acquired through means other than a college degree. In most cases, the degree will be placed under “preferred” in the job posting. The degree validation form can be found on the HR Forms page.