Obama To Use Executive Action To Increase Overtime Pay

Continuing his plan to address income inequality, President Obama will take action to raise the income ceiling that calls for exemptions for overtime.

The directive, part of Obama’s promise to act without Congress using executive actions to get his policy goals through, is meant to help salaried workers, such as fast-food shift supervisors or convenience store managers, who may be expected to work more than 40 hours a week without receiving overtime pay. The proposed change is part of Obama’s effort to focus on closing the gap between the wealthy and the poor, which also includes a call to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.10…

Under the new changes Obama is seeking, the Labor Department could raise the pay threshold for workers covered by overtime rules. Currently, salaried workers who make more than $455 per week are exempt from overtime. California and New York have set higher thresholds of $640 and $600 a week respectively, the White House official said.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.