DOL Proposes New Rule Raising the Salary Threshold for White-Collar Overtime Exemptions

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would raise the minimum salary threshold required for workers to qualify for the overtime exemptions for executive, administrative and professional workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The proposal increases the threshold for the white-collar exemptions to $35,308 per year, or $679 per week, up about $12,000 from the current level of $23,660 per year ($455 per week). If approved, the DOL estimates the new rule would take effect in January 2020, and extend overtime protections to more than 1 million workers who are not currently eligible for overtime.