Walter Watts
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virus: Proposal extends overtime to low-income workers, cuts some
professionals' pay
« on: 2003-03-29 20:24:29 » |
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Godamn fucking shrub and his little band of elite, rich republican
fuckwads that inherit every shit-eating piece of property they
own--!*(^%#@%$#^*&$^%)(&^%^&%!!!!!
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Proposal extends overtime to low-income workers, cuts some
professionals' pay
By Leigh Strope, Associated Press, 3/27/2003 13:09
WASHINGTON (AP) New federal regulations proposed Thursday could
drastically change, for the first time in half a century, which workers
qualify for overtime wages. Nearly 22 million Americans could be
affected by new definitions of white- and blue-collar workers.
Such an overhaul would result from changes the Labor Department proposed
to regulations tied to the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which
determines who must be paid a time-and-a-half hourly rate for working
more than 40 hours a week.
Almost 110 million workers are covered by that law.
The changes could cost businesses $870 million to $1.57 billion. The
largest pocketbook impact would be felt by lower-income workers and
highly compensated, professional employees.
For the first time, employers would be required to pay overtime to as
many as 1.3 million lower-income workers who put in more than 40 hours a
week.
The regulatory proposals, which are subject to a 90-day public comment
period, require no congressional action and could become official late
this year or early next.
But about 640,000 white-collar professionals who now are required to get
overtime pay, such as some engineers and pharmacists, would lose it.
Another 10.7 million workers whose pay status is uncertain now would get
clarification meaning some would gain and others would lose overtime.
Union officials have said they would oppose any changes that would cause
longer work weeks, arguing that required overtime pay is the only brake
stopping many employers from demanding excessive work hours.
''We're concerned that these rules could weaken the tradition of the
40-hour work week,'' said Kathy Roeder, spokeswoman for the AFL-CIO.
The project has been in the works by the Bush administration for 1½
years, but debated by previous administrations for decades.
Salary levels in the complex wage and hour rules haven't been updated
for 28 years. The last revision to job descriptions was 54 years ago,
and many no longer exist, such as key punch operators, straw bosses, leg
men and gang leaders.
The revisions are ''moderate and measured,'' said Tammy McCutchen,
administrator of the Labor Department's wage and hour division.
''Easy, clear rules mean employees will understand when they're entitled
to overtime, employers will know what their obligations are and the
Department of Labor will be able to more vigorously enforce the law,''
she said.
Business groups long have complained that the complicated and outdated
rules require overtime pay for already well-compensated and highly
skilled professionals.
A surge in overtime pay lawsuits aimed at employers also is a concern.
Workers filed 79 federal collective-action lawsuits seeking overtime pay
in 2001, surpassing for the first time class-action job discrimination
suits against employers, according to the American Bar Association.
Under the proposal, any worker earning less than $22,100 a year
automatically would be entitled to overtime pay, regardless of whether
they are paid hourly or earn an annual salary. Jobs most affected would
be assistant managers of stores, restaurants and bars, McCutchen said.
Those workers would get overtime pay despite their management status as
long as they earn less than $22,100 a year. However, companies also
could decide to boost salaries above the cap to avoid paying overtime.
Employers could face $334 million to $895 million in direct payroll
costs for those changes.
Current law exempts workers from overtime pay if they earn more than
$155 a week, or $8,060 a year, but meet other convoluted, confusing job
criteria, such as devoting at least 80 percent of their time to
''exercising discretion'' and other ''intellectual'' tasks that cannot
be ''standardized in ... a given period of time.''
Proposed changes and clarifications to definitions of administrative,
executive and professional jobs would exempt about
640,000 workers now receiving overtime pay.
Generally, workers would be exempt in the new rules if they manage more
than two employees and have the authority to hire and fire, or if they
have an advanced degree or similar training and work in a specialized
field, or work in the operations, finance and auditing areas of a
company.
--
Walter Watts
Tulsa Network Solutions, Inc.
"No one gets to see the Wizard! Not nobody! Not no how!"
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