Governor Kemp has signed the FY 2025 budget passed by the General Assembly (House Bill 916) which provides for a 4%, not to exceed $3,000, Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for full, benefit eligible employees of the University System of Georgia.
Who is eligible?
The COLA salary adjustment is for all regular fully benefited (30+ standard hours) faculty and staff of the USG who are actively employed on July 1, 2024. Partially benefited employees working less than 30 hours and non-benefited employees, including temporary and those working less than 20 hours are not eligible for the adjustment. There may be exceptions to the eligibility population based on unit structure and funding.
When will the COLA increase take effect?
AU Human Resources
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The 4% salary adjustment (up to a maximum of $3,000) is for all regular fully benefited (30+ standard hours) faculty and staff of the USG who are actively employed on July 1, 2024. Partially benefited employees working less than 30 hours and non-benefited employees, including temporary and those working less than 20 hours are not eligible for the adjustment. There may be exceptions to the eligibility population based on unit structure and funding .
The salary components used for the calculation are those included in the employee’s base pay, which is their annual rate of pay. The base pay is the employee's standard pay rate and does not include other compensation such as overtime, shift differentials, incentives, supplements, consortium, administrative assignments, allowances, and overload pay.
For faculty, more specifically, the base pay does not include overload teaching, continuing education appointments, monetary awards, compensation earned for services performed external to the University, as approved under the compensated outside activities policy, or administrative faculty assignments exclusively performed during the summer (not assigned during the previous academic year).
The salary adjustment will be based on an eligible employee’s salary as of April 1, 2024. If an employee is hired between April 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, the COLA will be calculated on their base starting salary.
Eligible employees earning an annual salary of $75,000 or greater, will reach the maximum allowable threshold on the 4% COLA and receive a COLA in the amount of $3,000.
The adjustment is effective July 1, 2024. Eligible employees will receive the COLA if they are actively employed on or before July 1st.
Summer pay will not change as it is based on the salary in effect as of May 31, 2024 . The salary adjustment is only intended to cover the standard contract and not summer earnings. Refer to related Policy BOR 8.3.12.3 Summer School Salaries.
The COLA will be updated in job data effective 7/1/2024. The rate for all hourly employees (9, 10, or 12 month) will be calculated in the same manner and based on the dollar amount paid for the role per hour.
No, they must be actively employed in the eligible position on July 1, 2024, to receive the adjustment.
The COLA base salary adjustment will be subject to all applicable FICA Taxes, Federal Income Tax, and State Income Tax. Federal and State Income tax will be withheld at the employee’s normal tax rate.
Yes, the base pay adjustment is eligible for retirement benefits.
Employees who are paid monthly will receive the salary adjustment, benefits adjustment, and premium adjustment for short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), and supplemental life insurance (SLF) coverage reflected in the 07/31 pay date.
Employees who are paid on a bi-weekly basis will receive the salary adjustment effective 7/1; however, the corresponding benefit and premium changes to STD, LTD, and SLF coverage will be reflected in the 07/12 pay date.
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