Categories of Employment

There are several categories of employment at Bethel University.

Exempt

Positions in this group are exempt from the overtime and minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and are compensated on a straight salary basis for their work, and not on hours worked. 

Each position is exempt under one or more of the exemptions provided through the FLSA and must meet the requirements of the act in order to be paid on a salary basis. Some of the common exemptions available include the executive/managerial, outside sales, creative professional, learned professional, administrative, and computer professional. Additional exemptions may apply, however, most positions are not eligible for exemption and

each is carefully analyzed to ensure they are treated properly. Some exempt positions include faculty as defined under the FLSA. Neither management nor employees can “choose” to exempt or be exempt and all such determinations are made through the Office of People and Culture as appropriate.

Nonexempt

Employees in this group are not exempt from the overtime and minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and are therefore compensated for actual hours worked in the performance of the job.

Temporary / Project / Seasonal

Employees in this group are hired on an emergency, short term, temporary, or project-oriented basis. Types of appointments to this category are referred to as Temporary or Project appointments. 

Temporary / project positions may be exempt or non-exempt depending entirely upon job duties and responsibilities. Neither management nor employees can “choose” to exempt or be exempt and all such determinations are made through the Office of People and Culture as appropriate.

In addition, the following categories are employed at Bethel:

Faculty

Employees in this group hold an academic rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor and teach courses and/or carry out other assigned responsibilities on the basis of a contract. Full time employees designated as Faculty are exempt employees.

Administration

While not an official category of employment, cabinet members, vice provosts, and deans are frequently referred to collectively as ‘Administration/Administrators.’