On February 26, 2015 the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services enacted the Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act of 2014 (WTPAA). The WTPAA introduces several new employer obligations, including new wage notice requirements. The new wage notice requirements are meant to ensure that employees are provided written notice of the terms of their employment and that employers maintain appropriate employment records.
Effective immediately all student employee hires or position changes must receive and sign the attached offer letter (new hires, rehires, new positions in the same department) or the rate change letter. This document has been reviewed by the GW Office of General Council to ensure compliance with the WTPAA. We will be unable to accept alternate, department specific offer letters due to the specific requirements of the WTPAA. The potential student staff must sign and return the document within ten (10) days of the receipt of the letter. Employees are not permitted to begin employment until this signed letter is returned. The supervisor/hiring manager must complete the following fields:
- Date
- Student’s Address
- Student’s Name
- Student’s Job Title
- Wage Per Hour
- Overtime Wage Per Hour (1.5 times Hourly Rate) - this must be a dollar amount, you can find many overtime calculators available online. For example
- Wage Per Hour: $10.00
- Over Time Rate: $10.00 x 1.5 = $15.00
- Supervisors Name and Contact Information
If you have a student that will be paid through a DC or federal contract please contact Bridget Schwartz (baschwa
gwu [dot] edu (baschwa[at]gwu[dot]edu), 202-994-6459) for additional guidance and a modified offer letter.
Student Employment is currently working with GW IT to adjust the Student Hire Application to add a section for the offer/rate change letter to be uploaded. This change is scheduled to go live on May 12th, 2015, a separate email will be sent regarding all the changes to the online system. We will be checking each hire for the letter and will reject hires that do not have properly completed attachment.
Please share this information with individuals in your department that manage student staff and contact Bridget Schwartz, Associate Director for Student Employment with any questions.