The Bush administration has a plan to overhaul decades-old labor
regulations, which they say are antiquated. Labor Department officials say
the changes would make more lower-wage workers eligible for overtime work.

Now, right or wrong, I'm always suspicious when the Bush administration
claims it wants to help the low income worker, or even the middle class,
for that matter.

As thing stand now, employers are exempted from the overtime rules only if
they meet several criteria, including salary, management. and other
administrative responsibilities. Workers earning more than $8,060 a year
are exempt from overtime if they meet the other criteria. The B. admin
wants to change this amount so (they claim) more employees automatically
will be entitled to overtime....thus more protections to low-wage workers.

Now, here's what I was looking for: "At the same time, however, the
department is changing the job descriptions and duties tests. That could
move many higher-paid workers into the exempt category."

Labor unions fear changes would severely restrict who would be paid for
overtime work. They say that the overtime pay requirement is the only thing that acts as a brake on excessive work hours.

My opinion is that these changes are not meant to help the low-wage earner, rather they are meant to help the employer groups.

What do you think?

Madtown

I work with Union people all the time. If you can show me a Union employee that makes under 9k/year I would be very surpised.

Darcaine

Maybe he is serious in wanting to help the "lower class"

What are these rules currently?

Jaime, I've already posted all the information the article in The Atlanta Journal Constitution mentioned, other than that the salary test was last updated in 1975. Also, "The proposed changes are to regulations under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which determines who must be paid an hourly rate of time and a half for working beyond 40 hours a week. About 80 million workers now are covered by the overtime rules."

Darcene, it is not necessary to be a union member to come under the overtime pay rules. At this time the law is that anyone earning more than 8,060 a year must be paid overtime for work over 40 hrs per wk, unless they meet certain criteria. For instance, I did not join the union at my place of employment, but I had a choice of overtime pay (time and a half) or time off compensation when I worked over 40 hrs. I usually took the time off.

goamerica, It's fine if he wants to help the low-wage earner, but why are the rules being changed so that many higer-paid workers are moved into the exempt category? The advantage goes to the employer groups.

On other threads conservatives talk about fairness....is it fair for one guy to get overtime pay, while another is not, just because he earns more? Although, that is what's happening now because some workers do not receive overtime pay, but they are usually management. I don't think salaried workers are paid overtime, just hourly workers, but I'm not positive about this.

Madtown

I must be missing this. I don't see this mentioned anywhere in your previous post. Was it in another thread?

Jaime, I'm sorry I didn't make it clear that the overtime rule, in a nutshell, is that workers must be paid time and a half when they work more than 40 hr in a weeks time, unless they are exempt by meeting certain criteria. (long sentence, sorry)

The article did not go into detail about what the criteria is.

The information can be found at:

.http://www.flsa.com/overtime.html

Madtown

In this day and age I think it would be difficult for companies to require overtime without offering compensation. Though Bush is presenting this as a positive step for his office, there are probably agenda's hidden within that won't be fully apparent at first glance. In other words, let the buyer beware.