July 1 Brings Compensation, Benefits and Policy Changes 

Compensation  

As announced by Chancellor Robinson, eligible 12-month faculty, staff and graduate assistants will receive a 2.5% cost of living adjustment effective July 1 (Aug. 11 for eligible nine-month faculty and graduate assistants). Additional compensation adjustments, such as merit increases or final market adjustments to reach a target market salary (after COLA is applied) as part of the university's compensation projects, will also go into effect on this date.   

Benefits & Insurance  

Semi-monthly insurance premiums have slightly risen effective July 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. These increases were offset by the university, with a portion of the increases in health and dental insurance being added to the employee's contribution.   

Basic Short Term Disability Insurance will now be provided at no cost to employees with less than three years of benefits-eligible employment effective July 1, 2025. Employees with three or more years of benefits-eligible employment can opt for Voluntary Short Term Disability Insurance.  

Flexible Work Arrangements  

All flexible work arrangements (FWA) must now be recorded and approved through Workday at least once per year using the "Request Flexible Work Arrangement" task. Employees currently on a FWA will need to submit the arrangement in Workday for approval. Supervisors may also initiate a request on behalf of an employee using the "Add Flexible Work Arrangement for Worker" task.   

For more details, refer to Fayetteville Policies and Procedures 412.3. 

U of A employees are encouraged to contact their Human Resources Partner for any questions or clarification on these updates. Additional communication surrounding these topics is planned over the coming weeks.