In the News: Texas Conservative Judge blocks Biden administration’s rule to expand overtime pay for millions

I know that many people want to bury their heads and ignore what happens in this country, but to make better voting choices, you NEED to read what's happening, and if YOU get Overtime Pay, or think you deserve it, this article affects YOU. This is what happens when conservative judges appointed by Republicans make decisions for Americans. A Texas Judge ruled "The U.S. Department of Labor could not prioritize employee wages over job duties when determining eligibility." So, despite President Biden's push to take care of workers like you, another conservative blocked it.  Next time people, vote with intelligence. BTW- Trump's Project 2025 allows employers to avoid paying it. That's today's blog.

 

Judge blocks Biden administration’s rule to expand overtime pay for millions

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, AP News, November 15, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan sided with the state of Texas and a group of business organizations that argued the Labor Department exceeded its authority when it finalized a rule earlier this year to significantly expand overtime pay for salaried workers — ruling that the department could not prioritize employee wages over job duties when determining eligibility.

Under federal law, nearly all hourly workers in the U.S. are entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours a week. But many salaried workers are exempt from that requirement — unless they earn below a certain level.

The Labor Department’s now-scuttled rule would have marked the biggest increase to that cap in decades. Employers were required to pay overtime to salaried workers who make less than $43,888 a year in certain executive, administrative and professional roles as of July 1 — and that was set to rise to $58,656 next year.

The Labor Department estimated that an additional 4 million lower-paid salary workers would become eligible for overtime protections in the first year under the new rule. An additional 292,900 higher-compensated workers were also expected to get overtime entitlements through separate threshold increases.

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PROJECT 2025 ADVERSELY AFFECTS OVERTIME PAY MORE - "The 900-page document outlines plans for a sweeping overhaul of overtime protections that would give employers ways to avoid paying overtime to workers who have long qualified for time-and-a-half pay after 40 hours."  Source: USA TODAY