New Overtime Rule Possibilities, New Complexities

(from SHRM) In its July 25 request for information on the blocked overtime rule, the Department of Labor invited public input on a number of matters aimed at determining how to set the salary threshold for overtime pay. One of the key questions is whether there should be multiple standard salary levels and, if so, whether they should be set by region, size of employer or other methods. Multiple salary levels would "appear to be more equitable by taking into account local standards of living," said attorney Steven Suflas told SHRM. But "it would make compliance for employers, especially national employers, more difficult, as salary levels could vary region by region or location by location. This new initiative would also appear to be inconsistent with the new administration's stated policy of simplifying federal regulation."