(NAPSA)—Karen is a single mother of two who worked hard to be promoted to assistant manager of a local department store. She got a raise to $18,000 per year, but as a result, actually earned too much to qualify for overtime. Her brother, Steve, is a sergeant in his town’s police department earning $21,000. But the city says he can’t put in for overtime because his job duties disqualify him for extra pay. Karen’s best friend, Amy, makes $23,000 working in a restaurant. Even though she puts in 10-hour days and has little time for her family, she’s not sure if she’s entitled to overtimeeither. But under new overtime security reformsthat are in effect now, workers like these now have a guarantee of overtime protection. Underthe old, outdated regulations, workers earningaslittle as $8,060 could be denied overtime. The new overtime security rule nearly triples this salary threshold, so that millions of workers earning less than $28,660 peryear, workers like the composites represented above, are guaranteed overtime protection no matter what they do or whattheir job title is. The new overtime security rules, for the first time, also offer explicit guarantees of overtime protection to many workers earn- ing above the $28,660 threshold, including: * Blue collar workers like carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, iron workers, operating engineers, longshoremen, and laborers, as well as workers who receive overtime under a union contract. www.dol.gov/fairpay 1-866-USWAGE * Licensed practical nurses and first responders, such as police officers, firefighters and EMTs, also receive greater protection under the new regulations. * Any worker paid on an hourly basis will continue to be guaranteed overtime pay no matter how much they earn, what job they perform, or whattitle they hold. The new overtime security rules are far more clear than the old regulations, which means that workers will know their overtime rights, employers will know their obligations, and the Department of Labor will have an easier time enforcing the law. This will benefit everyone. Workers will no longer have to go to court to get the overtime they deserve and employers can devote money to building their businesses and paying workers, instead of worrying about lawsuits. To find out more about the new overtime security reforms, visit the Department of Labor’s Web site at www.dol.gov/fairpay. The site includes information about workers’ new overtime rights, as well as extensive compliance information for employers. Now that the final overtime security rules are at last in place, workers like those represented above will finally have the enhanced overtime protection they deserve.
