AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the Biden administration for expanding federal overtime protections that will help many public service workers.
“Some public service workers — including those in child welfare, mental health and substance abuse counseling — have been ineligible for overtime pay despite modest wages and the long hours they put in at essential jobs,” Saunders said in a press release. “This rule will fix those loopholes, so that more people who have spent their careers supporting their communities will now be in a better position to support their families.”
The new rule increases the salary thresholds required to exempt workers from overtime pay. Currently, only workers making an annual salary of less than $35,568 are covered by federal overtime pay requirements. Beginning July 1, that threshold will increase to $43,888 and to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025.
What’s more, beginning on July 1, 2027, salary thresholds will automatically update every three years, “by applying up-to-date wage data to determine new salary levels,” according to the Department of Labor.
Overtime protections require employers to compensate workers below certain salary thresholds for time worked over 40 hours in a seven-day workweek at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay.
To come up with the new overtime pay requirements, the Labor Department engaged employers, workers, unions and other stakeholders. Back in October, AFSCME encouraged our union’s members to express their support for the new rule.
The outcome is “a win-win” for workers and communities alike, Saunders said. He added that the new rule will help governments at all levels to “retain more passionate and qualified individuals in public service.”