The U.S. Department of Labor on Wednesday announced proposed rulemaking that would extend overtime protections to 3.6 million salaried workers.
The new plan would guarantee overtime pay for most salaried workers earning less than $1,059 per week, about $55,000 per year, by updating the regulations under section 13(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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"For over 80 years, a cornerstone of workers' rights in this country is the right to a 40-hour workweek, the promise that you get to go home after 40 hours or you get higher pay for each extra hour that you spend laboring away from your loved ones," says Acting Secretary Julie Su. "I've heard from workers again and again about working long hours, for no extra pay, all while earning low salaries that don't come anywhere close to compensating them for their sacrifices."
The proposed revisions include increasing the standard salary level and the highly compensated employee total compensation threshold. The proposed rulemaking would also provide for an automatic updating mechanism that would allow thresholds to change to reflect earnings data.
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"Today, the Biden-Harris administration is proposing a rule that would help restore workers' economic security by giving millions more salaried workers the right to overtime protections if they earn less than $55,000 a year," Su says. "Workers deserve to continue to share in the economic prosperity of Bidenomics."
