Cost of Living Salary Adjustments Coming Soon

March 24, 2022

In April, eligible Georgia Southern employees will begin receiving a $5,000 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) recently approved by Governor Brian Kemp and state legislators.

In follow up to the communication sent to you late last week, eligible Georgia Southern employees will receive a one-time $5,000 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), per the amended FY22 state budget recently approved by Governor Brian Kemp and state legislators. 

The majority of pay adjustments will be completed in April, but there are many unique situations, such as mid-year hires, job changes, and leave statuses, that will require manual pay adjustments into May.

Who is eligible?

The salary increase is for all active, regular, fully benefits-eligible faculty and staff at Georgia Southern. The increase will be prorated based on regular hours worked. Employees not fully benefits eligible, including temporary workers and those working less than 30 hours per week, are not eligible for the increase.

When will the payments be issued?

Eligible employees paid biweekly will see the increase and one-time supplemental payment in their April 22 paychecks.

Eligible employees paid monthly will see the change in their April 29 paychecks.

How will the increase be distributed?

For eligible employees to receive up to a $5,000 increase — prorated based on hours worked — for FY22, a salary adjustment will be awarded in the following manner: 

1. In April, eligible employees will receive a one-time pay supplement of up to $3,750 based on the number of pay periods an individual was employed by the state between July 1, 2021, and April 1, 2022, and regular hours worked. 
2. The remaining balance, up to $1,250, will be included on the normal payment schedule (processed as a pay rate increase) to finish out the fiscal year.
3. Pending final approval of the FY23 state budget, the ongoing increase for FY23 will be applied and appropriately distributed across the pay calendar. 

The one-time payment is subject to all applicable FICA taxes, federal income tax, and state income tax, but will not be subject to income based benefits (ie – retirement, life insurance etc). The remaining balance of $1,250 included in the normal pay schedule is subject to all tax and benefit withholdings, including retirement.

On April 1, 2022, we will be providing eligible employees a letter in their MyGeorgiaSouthern portal with specific information regarding the payments they will receive. 

This is a very complex and fluid process, and we appreciate your patience as we work through implementing these salary adjustments.   We know the past several years have been challenging, and we are committed to the well-being of our people. This salary adjustment, along with other compensation initiatives Georgia Southern has recently made, are positive steps forward in helping our people feel appreciated and valued.