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New federal overtime rule goes into effect Dec. 1 and it could affect you

Posted at 4:17 PM, Nov 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-18 17:51:23-05

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A new federal law goes into effect on Dec. 1st that could potentially affect millions of workers across the U.S.

Businesses have been scrambling to prepare for the onset of theFair Labor Standards Act,which changes the threshold for overtime pay to $47,500. Salaried workers who make less than that are eligible for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week.

As the rules currently work, companies can avoid paying overtime to full-time salaried employees making as little as $23,660 by classifying them as “exempt.” Those workers aren’t entitled to overtime pay even if they work more than 40 hours a week.

The law that goes into effect on Dec. 1 changes that. The White House said the 40-hour workweek has eroded over the years, with workers putting in more hours without being compensated for them.

What does that mean for companies? They’ll have to anticipate higher payroll costs, either by paying out more in overtime or raising the salaries of employees so they hit the $47,500 threshold to become exempt employees.

Sometimes companies offer less generous benefits to non-exempt employees than to their exempt staffers. So some workers who are reclassified as non-exempt under the new rules may find changes to their vacation accrual schedules and health benefits. Or they may no longer be entitled to bonuses or profit-sharing.

The salary threshold will be updated every three years. Based on projections, it is expected to rise to $51,000 by January 1, 2020, after the first update.