How Will the New OT Rules Play Out?

The Department of Labor's recent decision on overtime extends to 1,300,000 U.S. workers. The number is much lower than what the previous Administration tried to accomplish during Pres. Barack Obama's tenure in office.

"Since 2016, when Pres. Obama signed an overtime law which made employees who earned less than $47,000 a year eligible for compensation, many small business owners were fearful that they would not be able to keep pace with new requirements for overtime compensation. When a Texas judge blocked that ruling, it offered a small reprieve until Pres. [Donald] Trump took office," says Rob Wilson, president of Employco USA, Westmont, III.

Since then, Republicans and Democrats have struggled to agree on an overtime solution. Previously, workers automatically were entitled to overtime pay only if they earned $23,660 or less a year...