General Questions
With the Board of Regents approval of the 2022 fiscal year budget, the minimum wage at CU Boulder will increase to $15 per hour effective July 1. This move will allow the campus, at a critical time of economic recovery and expansion of the job market, to make a vital investment in the stability of our workforce - stability that results in a more enriched and impactful student experience and that makes CU Boulder a more competitive employer.
The campus minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour effective July 1, 2021.
This is a university and campus initiative. While this is not related to a state or federal requirement right now, it will prepare the university well for any future changes that might come at the state or federal levels. All CU campuses will be moving to at least a $15 minimum wage.
The campus minimum wage of $15 per hour applies to all employees of the campus including student employees, temporary employees, classified and university staff, faculty, and research faculty.
Campus funds will be allocated to units for general fund regular salaried staff and general fund students paid hourly. Other categories of employees will be funded by the hiring unit.
Campus Human Resources will review compression and pay equity impacts as part of the increase to $15 per hour and will communicate additional information as available.
- By the end of July 2021, regular staff employees will receive notifications outlining their final July pay rate and how it was determined.聽
- Department HR Liaisons are responsible for notifying temporary and student employees of their new pay rates.
No, since it鈥檚 a University initiative, the minimum wage applies to all positions.
The increase will apply to the bi-weekly pay period ending July 10, 2021 and all those that follow.
- No, as with other minimum wage increases, Employee Services will automatically increase the pay rate in HCM for any positions below the new minimum.
- Additionally, campus HR will partner with Employee Services to upload all campus-wide pay increases effective July 1. Departments do not need to make these entries.聽
- For student assistants, if departments wish to increase the pay above the new minimum, they will be responsible for making those adjustments. The adjustment would need to be effective no later than June 27 to apply to the pay period ending July 10.
- No, pay rates for new or active job postings in Avature (CU Boulder Jobs) will be updated as needed by the Human Resources (HR) Talent Acquisition (TA) team.聽
- Job postings maintained on sites outside of Avature (CU Boulder Jobs) will need to be updated by the hiring unit unless you are already working with the HR TA team.
Student Assistant Questions
Campus Human Resources and the Office of Student Employment will update student assistant pay ranges effective July 1 to accommodate the new minimum wage starting level.聽 Updated ranges will be communicated as soon as they are available.
Not at a central level, but departments and units may consider adjusting pay rates for other student positions in their areas if needed based on their department/unit practices
Student Employment will update job postings on the Student Jobs board if they have rates that fall below the new minimum to $15.00; however, you are welcome to make the updates yourself for expediency. If your job is posted elsewhere, like on a departmental web site, you must update it.
Campus Human Resources and the Office of Student Employment will update student assistant pay ranges effective July 1 to accommodate the new minimum wage starting level as well as other annual updates. Updated ranges will be communicated as soon as they are available
No, since it鈥檚 a University initiative, the minimum wage applies to all positions.
No. Unfortunately work-study award amounts have already been issued for this upcoming academic year prior to this decision being made. A department may submit a Work-study Increase Request starting May 15 on the Student Employment website. There is no guarantee an increase will be granted. Requests will be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis, starting mid-August.
Yes. Once Employee Services increases the rates for anyone below $15.00 an hour, if the student鈥檚 pay falls outside the new ranges your department will need to either move the student to the correct student assistant job level or increase their pay rate to fall within the correct student assistant level. See the Student Employment Job Descriptions, Pay Ranges and Job Codes page.
- If just the pay rate was adjusted and they still fall within the minimum/maximum for that job code, nothing needs to be done.
- If the pay rate was adjusted and they no longer fall within the minimum/maximum for that job code, you will need to update the job code and/or position number first and then you will need to update the work-study indicator page with a new effective date for the new job code/position number in order for work-study to continue to pay.
The increase will apply to the bi-weekly pay period ending July 10, 2021 and all those that follow.
- A student cannot be paid below the $15.00 an hour minimum wage.
- The nature of the work should determine the pay rate, not the student鈥檚 work-study award amount.
- If a department cannot afford to pay the student after their work-study award is exhausted, the student will need to stop working at that time.
Yes, as with a normal change to the minimum wage, Employee Services will automatically increase the pay rate of any positions below the new minimum. If departments wish to increase the pay above the new minimum, they will be responsible for making those adjustments. The adjustment would need to be effective no later than June 27 to apply to the pay period ending July 10.
- A department can run the Personnel Roster report to see if anyone is below $15.00.
- A department can also run the CUES_HCM_JOB_UNDER_MIN_WAGE query report when the wage has been updated to $15 to see if anyone falls below this rate at any time.