Labor Standards in US – National Retail Federation (NRF) is opposed to the proposal on overtime for managers and professionals

Following President Obama’s order to “modernize and streamline” federal overtime rules, the Labor Department has proposed regulations that would greatly expand the number of workers covered by overtime.

Under current rules, employees making up to $455 a week ($23,660 a year) are automatically entitled to overtime pay when working more than 40 hours a week. Managers and professionals who make more can be declared exempt from overtime, but only if they meet certain conditions such as having supervision of other workers as their primary duty. The update would raise the wage threshold to about $970 a week ($50,440 a year). The proposal also asks for comments on whether new restrictions should be placed on how much time managers can spend on non-supervisory duties like jumping in to work a cash register, help a customer or restock shelves when a store is busy.

NRF is opposed to the proposal because it threatens to reverse progress seen since a 2004 update that eliminated vague and outdated language and ended an outbreak of lawsuits over disputed overtime that began in the late 1990s.

via Overtime | NRF.