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Undeniably, this new normality brought about by COVID-19 represents an extraordinary challenge for universities, from strengthening infrastructure, technology, and quality of services, to achieving happiness in their collaborators. In response, this study aims to examine the effect of servant leadership on happiness at work, with emotional salary as a moderating variable. The paper adopted a quantitative methodological perspective with a non-experimental design whose study sample consisted of 269 collaborators among teachers and support staff of the Peruvian Union University, Peru. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the latent structure of the constructs, presenting an adequate internal consistency (α > 0.7). On the other hand, the confirmatory factor analysis presented an adequate fit. The results showed a significant effect (β = 0.306; p < 0.001) of servant leadership on emotional salary, as well as a significant effect of emotional salary on happiness at work (β = 0.724; p < 0.001). This study provides a valuable perspective for universities seeking to improve the happiness of their employees in the context of the new normal. It emphasizes the importance of servant leadership and emotional salary to achieve this goal. By implementing these strategies, universities can increase employee satisfaction and improve the quality of their services and the student experience.