Obama administration moves to expand overtime pay
Source: New Orleans Time Picayune / nola.com
WASHINGTON -- The next battle between business groups and the Obama administration is likely over new overtime rules drafted by the Department of Labor and now being reviewed by White House staffers.
At issue is the rule that allows employers to deny overtime pay -- 1 ½ times normal hourly salary for each hour over 40 hours a week -- for employees earning as little as $23,660 a year for jobs categorized as management or professional.
Department of Labor officials, who drafted new guidelines earlier this month, said the exemption was originally intended for well-compensated white-collar employees -- such as doctors, lawyers and business executives. But department officials say the definition has been expanded to include, for instance, low paid administrative workers, even restaurant employees with some management duties, even though there salaries are as low as $23,660 -- below the poverty level for a family of four.
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His department recently submitted proposed new overtime regulation, though the agency isn't saying how much of an increase in the $23,660 threshold the agency is suggesting. Those figures will be made available after the White House reviews the draft proposal, and decides whether to make adjustments. The White House said that review will be completed soon, and the new proposal will be released in detail and opened to a comments period by all interested parties.
Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/05/obama_administration_moves_to.html
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That elitist, oligarchic, plutocratic, Wall-Street-loving, Third Wayer! Bowing to the corporations again.
