Statement from EPI Vice President Ross Eisenbrey:

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule increasing the number of salaried workers entitled to overtime pay will protect millions of Americans from overwork and make sure they get paid their fair share when they work more than 40 hours in a week. It will raise wages and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, as employers shift hours from overworked and underpaid managers to hourly employees who badly need more work and more income.

“Most Americans don’t even know that being salaried isn’t reason enough to be denied overtime pay. This new rule makes it clear that whether you’re salaried or hourly, blue collar or white collar, even if your boss calls you a manager or a team leader, if you’re not paid at least $910 per week, you have to be paid time-and-a-half for each hour you work beyond 40 in a week.

“It’s exciting to see government working for working people and their families. The rule will give millions of workers more free time and it will put billions of dollars into the wallets of struggling middle class workers who need every penny they earn. Congratulations to President Obama, and the Department of Labor and its own hard-working employees, for a job well done.”