On her busier weeks, when she’s out in the field, Carly Ebben is sure she works more than 40 hours.
But it varies. When she’s at the University of California at Berkeley, she works less. When she’s out conducting research, she works more. She isn’t sure how much more. Like most postdoctoral researchers, Ebben is a salaried employee, and she’s never had to track her hours. She isn’t paid for overtime.
Had she been making less money, things would be different. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees making under $23,660 are guaranteed overtime pay, while certain white-collar employees making more are considered exempt.
Most postdocs make considerably more than $23,660, disqualifying them from mandatory overtime protections. So do most librarians, financial aid administrators, admissions officers, coaches and IT workers.
But over the summer, President Obama announced a proposal that would raise the salary threshold to $50,440. If the change goes through, white-collar workers making less than $50,440 will be guaranteed overtime pay if they put in more than 40 hours a week.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/25/what-does-department-labors-overtime-rule-mean-higher-education