The Labor Department proposed a new rule Wednesday that would make an estimated 3.6 million salaried workers eligible for overtime pay. The measure would apply to those salaried workers who make less than $55,000 per year.
As a general rule, salaried workers are not eligible for overtime pay, and the new rule is designed to prevent employers from characterizing lower-earning employees as salaried in order to avoid paying federally mandated overtime.
On August 25, the National Labor Relations Board issued a decision addressing employers who engage in unfair labor practices between the time that employees announce their desire to unionize and the actual union vote.
Under the new rules, employers engaging in misconduct during that period of time will be forced to recognize the union without the benefit of a vote. The NLRB noted that unfair labor practices frequently occur during run-ups to union votes.
Other rules passed by the NLRB this summer include a requirement that union elections occur promptly and make it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. The new rule will make it easier for those workers to join unions and enjoy guarantees of overtime pay, workplace safety standards and other protections guaranteed by law.
https://ohsonline.com/articles/2023/09/01/dol-proposes-expansion-of-overtime-protections-for-salaried-workers.aspx?admgarea=magazine
