NWLC Applauds Biden Administration’s New Overtime Rule
(Washington, D.C.) Today, the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule that will strengthen overtime protections for millions of workers across the country. On July 1, the annual salary threshold under which employees are guaranteed to be eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week will rise to $43,888, followed by an increase to $58,656 in January 2025—up from the inadequate level of $35,568 established during the Trump administration. The rule also provides for automatic updates to the threshold every three years to keep pace with rising wages, ensuring that overtime protections for salaried workers will not erode over time as they have in recent decades.
The following is a statement by Emily Martin, Chief Program Officer for the National Women’s Law Center:
“For far too long, employers have taken advantage of weak overtime rules to make their salaried employees work more hours for less pay. The new regulations announced today will prevent such abuses, benefiting an estimated 4.3 million workers—and most of these workers are women.
Women, and especially women of color, disproportionately hold lower-paying jobs and serve as the primary caregivers for their families—so strong overtime standards are essential for women. Some will see bigger paychecks when they work more hours. Others will be required to work fewer hours, freeing up time for caregiving and other responsibilities that women routinely take on for their families. And some part-time workers—who are overwhelmingly women—will be granted the additional hours they want and need. We applaud the Department of Labor for finalizing this policy, which stands to have a profound impact on the financial well-being of millions of women and their families.”
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