Some New York workers find that overtime rules can be confusing, and national lawmakers may continue the confusion as they work on legislation aimed at delaying the implementation of important changes. A modernization effort by the Department of Labor is aimed at increasing the salary levels of previously exempt employees. However, a Sept. 28 vote in the House of Representatives could delay this change for several months.
Initially, DOL changes were slated to go into effect on Dec. 1, 2016. The House vote would move this effective date to June 1, 2017. Upon implementation, the exemption level for overtime will affect those earning at least $913 per week. Currently, affected workers can be exempted from overtime pay eligibility if they have a weekly income of $455. For the change to be successfully delayed, the U.S. Senate would also have to approve the bill before it could be sent to President Obama. However, a veto is expected, which means that employers would be wise to plan for the changes to take effect in December.
The changes in question could help many workers dealing with wage issues related to overtime. There may be situations in which workers are paid a salary rather than an hourly wage. When hours are not tied to one’s compensation, an employer might request extra time on the job without providing additional pay. An increase in the minimum earnings for overtime exemption could help many salaried workers with low incomes to receive fair pay for working extra hours.
People who are dealing with a concern over unfair pay practices might want to discuss their situation with an employment law attorney. It is helpful to provide pay stubs for review to ensure that specific instances of payment errors can be identified.
