The Labor Department was expected to publish final rules governing overtime
eligibility today, but the regulations will be delayed while the Office
of Management and Budget reviews them, the Boston Globe reports.
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customized information for your industry, location, and job.
Get Your Report Now!The Labor Department sent the regulations to the OMB for review on Friday.
The regulations are expected to raise the salary threshold for overtime from
$155 a week to $425 a week. The Labor Department estimates that about 1.3 million
low-wage workers will gain overtime eligibility.
In Congress, Democrats have been trying to block the proposed changes, which include revisions to the overtime exemption
standards for the executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside
sales categories.
Democrats argue that the number of white-collar workers who would lose overtime
eligibility would be far greater than the Bush administration's estimate of
644,000, the newspaper notes. Opponents of the changes for white-collar workers
cite an Economic Policy Institute study that found that as many as 8 million
people would lose their overtime.
Business groups have lobbied for the changes, saying they are needed to clarify
the rules and reduce the number of lawsuits over overtime, the newspaper notes.
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