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ESA News Release: [06/14/2004]
Contact Name: Pamela Groover
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676

DOL Officials Travel to Provide Compliance Assistance on the New Overtime Rules

This Week: Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania

WASHINGTON—To ensure full employer compliance with the Department of Labor’s new overtime security rules, Department of Labor officials will be meeting with members of the human resource community this week in Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. To date, Department of Labor officials have held over 60 presentations, forums, and briefings in over 20 states as part of an extensive compliance assistance outreach.

“The Department wants to ensure that workers understand their rights and employers understand their responsibilities. The misinformation campaign against the new overtime security rules hurts works’ rights by creating confusion. These compliance efforts are designed to get the truth out,” said Al Robinson, Wage and Hour Administrator.

The new rules, unveiled in April, guarantee and strengthen overtime rights for more American workers than ever before. They modernize and clarify overtime regulations that were first created in 1938. The old regulations were so outdated that they created a legal nightmare. Many white-collar workers were forced to go to court to find out if they were eligible for overtime. Overtime complaints now generate more federal class action lawsuits than employment discrimination complaints.

Under the 50-year-old regulations, only workers earning less than $8,060 annually were guaranteed overtime. Under the new rules, workers earning $23,660 or less are guaranteed overtime. This strengthens overtime protection for 6.7 million low-wage salaried workers, including 1.3 million salaried white collar workers who were not entitled to overtime pay under the existing regulations. Also, for the first time ever the overtime regulations expressly protect the overtime rights of first responders, construction workers, blue-collar workers, licensed practical nurses and workers paid on an hourly basis.

The Department’s new FairPay rules were published in the Federal Register and take effect August 23, 2004. A text version is available online at www.dol.gov/fairpay. For further information about the Fair Labor Standards Act, visit the Department’s Wage and Hour Division web page at www.dol.gov where On-Line Training Seminars are available. These seminars show DOL experts describing the new FairPay overtime rules. The video is enhanced with a synchronized transcript and slide presentation and is searchable by topic.

Also available on the website are Fact Sheets by exemption and by occupation. There is also a toll-free help line opening Monday—Friday 8:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for further information. That number is at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243) or TTY 1-877-889-5627.

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