News Releases

( KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) – To improve compensation packages and standardize work schedules across the state, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has informed personnel at its 10 research facilities that the University will no longer classify them as “agricultural workers” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Under the policy change, employees will now be eligible for overtime pay. No employees will lose their positions nor will they experience reductions in their annual rates of pay.

“We are very pleased to announce these changes,” said Dr. Roland Mote, associate dean of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, which oversees the system of agricultural and natural resource research facilities. “We’ve been working since 2003 to devise and implement a plan that would allow us to forego a FLSA exemption for our agricultural workers.”

Under the FLSA, special provisions apply to agricultural workers; primarily, no overtime premium is paid for hours worked in excess of 40 during a work week. The exemption exists because most farms, including those managed by the Experiment Station, operate on extended schedules to allow for the care of animals or to take advantage of seasonal weather patterns. Many Experiment Station employees had been working a standard 45 hours per week.

Beginning January 7, the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station system will implement a statewide policy that includes a regular 40-hour work week for agricultural workers. Personnel working in excess of 40-hours per week will be paid the standard overtime premium (time and a half per overtime hour) for their labor. Optional compensatory time will also be available.

The policy changes were first explained to workers at each facility in meetings across the state on January 4.

Mote explained that the new policy was made feasible by the internal reallocation of funds. “We’ve been working for a long time to improve the compensation package for our agricultural workers, and the present plan is the result of foregoing new positions and equipment in favor of loyalty to our present employees.”

The Experiment Station system employees 91 agricultural workers at 10 research and education centers located in Greeneville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Crossville, Springfield, Spring Hill, Lewisburg, Jackson, Milan and Grand Junction. The centers allow UT scientists and students to research solutions for real-world problems such as soil erosion, water quality, food safety and biofuels, just to name a few.

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Contacts:

Dr. Roland Mote, associate dean
Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, (865) 974-7105

Patricia McDaniels, UTIA Marketing and Communications, (865) 974-7141

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On the Web at http://taes.tennessee.edu/