Asa Duffee, ANCA Director of Marketing & Communications
On November 15, a U.S. federal judge blocked nationwide regulations that would have expanded overtime benefits to more than 4 million workers. Nature centers across the country were in the middle of adapting to the new overtime rules, which had partially gone into effect.
In April the Department of Labor announced its plans for new minimum salary thresholds that determine who is eligible for overtime pay. The thresholds were planned to be implemented in two phases: the first phase went into effect on July 1, and the second phase was set for January 1, 2025.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, executive, administrative, and professional employees earning less than a minimum salary threshold are automatically eligible for overtime pay, or 1.5 times their regular pay for any time worked over 40 hours a week. In 2019, the threshold was set to $35,568 per year. This year’s rules first phase raised the threshold in July to $43,888 per year, and the second phase in January would have raised the threshold to $58,656 per year. With the judge’s decision, the threshold reverts to the 2019 level.
When the overtime changes were announced, many organizations were forced to have difficult conversations and implement changes to budgets, programs, and staff. Some ANCA member organizations already adapted employee classifications and organizational operations because the first salary threshold phase was implemented in July, and many organizations were preparing for the new threshold in 2025.
Now that the overtime rules have been struck down, many ANCA members are left frustrated and wondering how to proceed. For those who already implemented changes and had plans to adapt further, the question arises: is it easier to move forward with the changes rather than discard them?
In addition to complicating plans and operations, this saga surrounding overtime rules has brought new energy to discussions about equitable compensation and work-life balance within the nature center community.
Compensation in our profession
As ANCA has shared previously, wages in our field are low compared to similar professions. ANCA members are working toward equitable compensation, but such efforts take time, and there are no simple solutions.
The Labor Department’s now-defunct 2025 salary threshold would have significantly impacted many nature centers, as the threshold was above what many nature center professionals earn.
Ilya Shmulenson, Executive Director of Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, New York, directly connects profession-wide wages and the proposed salary thresholds.
“Historically, the wages have been so low in this field that it’s hard to get to those numbers for multiple positions,” he says.
Shmulenson reports that of the 15 people who work at Lime Hollow year-round, only two are salaried and exempt. The organization is working toward higher wages, and strives to have more salaried and exempt staff in the future.
Shmulenson says that these efforts require considering how the nature center’s business model can support such positions.
“It will help inform how we price programs, how we fundraise, how we communicate our costs,” says Shmulenson.
A trail in early autumn at Lime Hollow Nature Center.
Being prepared for future changes
It is unclear how the incoming Trump administration will approach the overtime salary thresholds. The current thresholds were set under the first Trump administration in 2019.
While future updates are uncertain, organizations can be prepared for any changes by ensuring that all staff position descriptions are accurate and up to date.
Tapping a maple tree as part of a program at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.At Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, Minnesota, the organization audited all staff positions for Fair Labor Standards Act compliance when the Department of Labor last adjusted overtime rules in 2019. This provided Eagle Bluff with an existing framework for reviewing position descriptions this year.
Colleen Foehrenbacher, Executive Director of Eagle Bluff, says that the organization once again reviewed all positions for FLSA compliance, particularly looking at the duties of each role. Though the proposed overtime rules have been blocked, organizations like Eagle Bluff are now better positioned to adapt to future overtime regulation updates.
Flexible scheduling
The Labor Department’s proposed rules would have upended how some ANCA member organizations have operated for years. Many nature centers offer flexible scheduling so that if an exempt employee works over 40 hours in a week, they can later take an equivalent amount of time off.
However, if that same employee were no longer exempt — as many expected to be under the now-defunct regulations — this type of flexible scheduling would not be permitted.
A culture of flexibility has been the norm for years at the Highlands Center for Natural History in Prescott, Arizona. Executive Director Sarah Vincent says they’ve long used that flexibility in busy times per year, like summer camps.
“In camp season, we are pulling some really big weeks,” says Vincent. “Then we honor those with some really flexible scheduling right after camp with big chunks of time off.”
Vincent emphasizes that the organization’s approaches to flexibility have been structured to promote work-life balance, not prevent it.
Now, organizations like the Highlands Center can continue such flexibility in their operations, but the recent events highlight that organizations could need to change such an approach depending on future updates to the overtime threshold.
Moving forward
With the salary thresholds set to the 2019 level, employers can now decide whether to keep planned changes to organizational operations or employee classifications. ANCA is monitoring the impact of the recent ruling and will continue to share resources for employers.
The information provided here is intended for general guidance only and should not be considered legal or HR advice. When evaluating or implementing changes related to overtime rules, we recommend consulting with a qualified HR professional or legal advisor to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
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