HOUSTON — A Texas federal judge recently granted summary judgement in favor of the 21 states challenging the Obama-era salary thresholds for overtime protections that would have potentially increased the salaries of millions of Americans currently paid on salary. Had the expansion taken place, it would have effectively doubled the minimum salary overtime exempt employees would be entitled to from their employers, a jump from approximately $23,00 to around $47,00 for an estimated 4.2 million workers.
District Judge Amos Mazzant ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and it remains unclear whether the Department of Labor under President Donald Trump, which has indicated it would take a close examination of the order, will appeal the ruling. In his ruling, the judge stated the Obama administration’s doubling of the overtime threshold was not “reasonable” and went on to note “Nothing in [FLSA] Section 213(a)(1) allows the Department to make salary rather than an employee’s duties determinative of whether a ‘bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity’ employee should be exempt from overtime pay.”
Labor secretary Alexander Acosta recently gave statements indicating that although the proposed minimum weekly salary of $913 was too high for the economy to bear, there would none the less be some sort of increase in the near future. Currently, salaried employees must earn at least $445 per week but have not seen an increase to the overtime pay threshold in almost two decades.
FLSA Overtime Pay Laws
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets nationwide protections for minimum wage and overtime, as well as the minimum amount of money overtime exempt employees must be paid. Most workers in the U.S. are eligible for overtime wages under the FLSA, at least one and a half times the worker’s average hourly wage. If an employer fails to properly pay workers, the employees have the legal right to file unpaid overtime lawsuits to recover back pay with interst and other damages.
Overtime Pay Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.