More workers should be eligible for overtime pay, said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, who testified recently that the wage level to qualify for overtime pay is “definitely” too low. Speaking during questioning before the House Education and Labor Committee, he said the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is reviewing the overtime regulation and he believes there should be automatic and regular updates to the overtime threshold.
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., led the questioning, noting that he sent a letter to encourage the DOL to adopt a salary threshold that by 2023 would be around $85,000 annually. The overtime threshold now is $35,568 annually or $684 a week. Workers who don’t earn this amount have to be paid overtime, even if they’re classified as a manager or professional.
