About 3.6 million working people in this country are likely to benefit from a new overtime rule that the Biden administration is proposing. And the U.S. Department of Labor needs to hear from workers like you to make this a reality.
Overtime protections entitle millions of low- and middle-income workers to time-and-a-half pay when they work more than 40 hours per week. But those protections need to be expanded to cover more workers and keep up with the wages of today.
So the Labor Department is updating the overtime regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Under current law, workers making $35,568 a year or less are guaranteed overtime pay when they work more than the standard 40 hours a week. The Biden administration – the most pro-union presidency in modern times – wants to raise the annual income threshold to $55,068, or $1,059 a week, and automatically raise the income level as wages grow in the future.
Many AFSCME members will likely benefit from the increased earnings threshold. That could include, for instance, social workers – an umbrella term that includes those working in child welfare and human services, and those working as mental health and substance abuse counselors, and others – who are often misclassified as exempt from overtime protections.
Overtime protections are the bedrock of the American middle class, and the 40-hour workweek helps working people achieve precious work-life balance. But if people are required to work longer hours, they should be fairly compensated. It’s as simple as that.
Though the higher income threshold represents but a modest increase, it will nevertheless cover millions of additional workers. We’re asking AFSCME members like you to also express your support for this new rule by clicking here.