By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA determines whether an employee can receive hourly wages or be exempt, or salary.
Barton Community College Vice President Mark Dean said the proposed change is calling to increase the minimum salary needed to keep employees as exempt from $35,586 annually to $55,068. Dean said if the proposal is accepted, Barton would have to change several employees back to hourly rates.
"It's okay for them to get paid hourly...we then pay overtime for those employees," said Dean. "The bad part about is those employee lose one paycheck. They go one month without a paycheck. It has to do with the times they get paid and the salary versus hourly payroll."
Dean noted Barton has 44 employees that would have to change from salary to hourly rates to avoid the college from increasing their salaries by $20,000.
"Some of those salary positions that do a bunch of travel...there are just some positions that it's going to be a whole lot more expense if you have to make them hourly," said Dean. "It also reduces the flexibility that some of those individuals have with those positions."
The proposed changes to the FLSA aim to extend overtime protections to employees. A decision is expected to be made in April, and if the proposal is accepted then the changes would go into effect July 1.