A UH official said the University has complied with the Fair Labor Standards Act and raised its employees’ minimum pay, despite pay scales indicating otherwise.
Director of Human Resources Monica Lawrence said salary grade structures were updated but not posted when minimum wage increased July 26 to $6.55 from $5.85 for Texas and 13 other states whose wage standards are equivalent to federal minimum wage.
"Necessary adjustments were made to the pay of anyone who was making below the new federal minimum wage to comply in July, and our (human resources management system) does not allow anyone to be paid below $6.55 per hour," Lawrence said.
Lawrence said no one in the UH System makes below minimum wage and most employees earn above it.
The average hourly wage for custodians, grouped in one of two pay grades whose listed minimum pay on the Human Resources Web site’s pay scale is below minimum wage, is $8.58, she said.
"Since September 1, we have had no one in a permanent benefits-eligible position earning less than $6.75 per hour," Lawrence said.
UH employees are divided into pay grades depending on job demands, and on the former pay scales custodians fell into group 52. The grades are now being converted to a new scale, under which Lawrence said there will be four classifications of custodian: grades 101 through 104.
The minimum annual salaries for the four scales range from $13,644.80 to $20,342.40 and the maximums range from $19,718.40 to $30,492.80.
Lawrence said the new pay scales will be officially implemented this fall.
