Editor’s Note: In a surprise ruling just before Thanksgiving, a federal judge from the Eastern District of Texas issued an opinion stopping the DOL’s new overtime rules from taking effect on Dec. 1.
Millions more American workers will be eligible for overtime thanks to a new U.S. Department of Labor rule. Under the previous guidelines, certain salaried workers who made less than $23,660 per year were entitled to receive overtime when they worked more than 40 hours a week, even if they weren’t hourly. Under the new rule, most salaried workers who earn less than $47,476 annually will be eligible for time-and-a-half when they work more than 40 hours each week. And the estimated four million workers who will become eligible represent just the beginning — every three years, the pay levels will automatically update.