New salary threshold will expand overtime benefits to 76,000 Washingtonians, 4.2 million workers across the country
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after the Department of Labor announced its final overtime rule. The new rule would raise the salary threshold to $47,476, expanding overtime eligibility to 4.2 million workers and boosting wages for workers by $12 billion over the next 10 years. The rule will also give overworked Americans back precious time with their families by incentivizing employers to hire additional workers or give part-timers more hours that they want and need. Employers will no longer be able to force low-paid employees to work those extra hours for free. Murray has been a leading voice in Congress encouraging the Obama Administration to update overtime protections.
“In this country, hard work should pay off, and when workers put in extra hours on the job, they should be paid fairly for it,” said Murray. “But far too many Americans have been working longer and longer hours without being fairly compensated, as businesses take advantage of weak, inadequate and outdated overtime rules. These updated worker protections will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of workers and their families across the country and in my home state of Washington. Strengthening basic worker protections like this will help our economy grow from the middle out, not the top down and will help ensure our economy works for everyone, not just the wealthiest few.”
For more information from the Department of Labor, click here.
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