this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2024
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The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a new rule that would make millions of white-collar workers newly eligible for overtime pay.

Starting July 1, the rule would increase the threshold at which executive, administrative and professional employees are exempt from overtime pay to $43,888 from the current $35,568. That change would make an additional 1 million workers eligible to receive time-and-a-half wages for each hour they put in beyond a 40-hour week.

On January 1, the threshold would rise further to $58,656, covering another 3 million workers.

“This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid for that time,” Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said in a statement. “So often, lower-paid salaried workers are doing the same job as their hourly counterparts but are spending more time away from their families for no additional pay. This is unacceptable.”

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[–] [email protected] 98 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Even more important that the one time bump is the very last line of the article:

Starting July 1, 2027, the rule requires Labor to adjust the salary threshold every three years to account for updated wage data.

Rather than having to fight for these things every few years, we need to just tie minimum wage and the overtime floor to CPI. But, that's something the GOP will fight tooth and nail.

[–] [email protected] 63 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (4 children)

I'm hourly, work 60 hours per week and get zero overtime.

This is entirely legal because I'm a truck driver.

Actually, I really am an office worker in a trucking company. But I occasionally, like once a month or less, run a short load if they really need me to. That makes me still exempt and is still legal for them to do.

Among other things I also get no sick leave

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

You just seemed freer

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I’ve been dispatching trucks for a long time and am looking for a new gig. One of my leads required a CDL and now I know the real reason why, if you need dispatchers to drive then you need better dispatchers…or it’s a tax dodge.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Well they do have dispatchers/supervisors who are salaried, technically my position is "hourly trainer" for new drivers to this location but in reality I help dispatch.

Actually I make more than the salaried supervisors but I work 5 days/12 hours and they work alternating 3/4 days/12 hours so it comes to about the same per hour.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

But I occasionally, like once a month or less, run a short load if they really need me to. That makes me still exempt and is still legal for them to do.

That could be illegal, depending on what state you're in. I don't think it's right that laws about this can vary so much from state to state, but the difference can be night and day.

Even if you're in a state that's better about protecting workers, you have to be ready to put up a fight. It can take years, and it's not uncommon for a company to keep doing the same thing after the case is over.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Nope, the Department of Labor (federal) lays it out pretty clearly.

The employee’s duties must include the performance, either regularly or from time to time, of safety-affecting activities on a motor vehicle used in transportation on public highways in interstate or foreign commerce. Employees must perform such duties as a driver, driver’s helper, loader, or mechanic. Employees performing such duties meet the duties requirement of the exemption regardless of the proportion of “safety affecting activities” performed

Emphasis on "regardless of the proportion of "safety affecting activities" performed"

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/19-flsa-motor-carrier

Unfortunately I live in a VERY "pRo BuSiNeSs" state so they don't have additional requirements for overtime just the federal ones.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The sick leave is insidious because sick employees come in vs wasting coveted PTO. It's a self-fulfilling problem as more and more workers fall ill.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Oh yeah I don't get PTO either, or rather, it gets paid lump sum once per year. Once a year I get an extra weeks worth of pay. Of course living month to month it's not likely I can ever save that.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago

“Small businesses will need to spend valuable time evaluating their workforce to properly adjust salaries or reclassify employees in accordance with this complicated mandate.”

Oh please. I’m a branch manager and this wouldn’t take us long to do, like less than a full day. Get the hell out of here and just do the right thing.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (2 children)

What other note worthy announcements have come out lately? Not being sarcastic, I'm out of the loop.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Federal restrictions on anti-trans 'bathroom laws' in schools, banning noncompete agreements in most jobs, lots of various industry-specific regulations, probably some I'm forgetting.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Oh shit I hadn't heard of those. The bathroom laws I'm particularly excited for. Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I heard all of PugJesus' news items, how tf did all these pass me up?!

The alaska reserve is a huge win with how much oil companies have been trying to gobble all that beautiful land up.

Thanks for the reading material!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Good news doesn’t stay in the headlines as long as bad. Glad to help!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Its also shunned by the bad faith actors intent on only spreading FUD, unfortunately. Thanks again

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

No problem!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Non-compete contracts for low wage worked just got killed. That's a big one, because all it does is lower the value of the employee and make them feel like property of their employer.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

I feel like… ok great for those people. However, I also think that we have a problem with this ‘part-time’ circus act. Where they give you just under the hours required to pay healthcare and such. That type of work is so demeaning, tiring, and under appreciated. Having to jump your schedule around like a jackrabbit sucks so much.

“Hey today you’re scheduled to a full day shift so you end late. Aaaaand we will need you back here first thing in the morning. But only 4 hours. You can sleep after that.”

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

In California, a fast food minimum wage is at $20 an hr. This 43k is just a dollar or 2 above that wage.
I guess it's good for people in other areas, but you would have thought there would be some regional adjustment on federal rules that go out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I mean even without regional adjustment it goes up Jan1 and every 3y thereafter.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

My point being that your standard for overtime payment being at McDonald's minimum wage seems wrong.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

It would make sense since that regional adjustment system already exists that they could apply it to everything. I’m sure there are some macro economics that would affect but I’m too lazy to put that much thought into it.