Reps. Takano, Adams and Sen. Brown Reintroduce Bill to Expand Overtime Pay Protection for Workers
Washington, DC – Today, Reps. Mark Takano (CA-39), Alma Adams (NC-12), and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released a statement after reintroducing the Restoring Overtime Pay Act.
“Too many workers put in more than 40 hours a week and are still unable to support their families,” said Rep. Takano. “It is high time we pursue meaningful policies that support strong overtime standards to put money back into the pockets of hardworking middle-class families. The previous Administration implemented a woefully inadequate overtime threshold that failed to meet the needs of millions of workers who would qualify for overtime pay. Moving forward, we have a unique opportunity to pursue robust policies that put workers first and equally ensure their work is properly valued.”
“Too often, so-called ‘exempt’ employees are exempted from fair treatment and a fair wage,” said Rep. Adams, Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “The Restoring Overtime Pay Act would provide workers with common-sense protections that are fair to their families and value their work. It also makes sure overtime rules reflect cost of living increases. I’m honored to join Rep. Takano and Senator Brown in supporting fair pay for folks who have to work over 40 hours a week to support their families.”
“If you put in extra work, you should earn extra pay – it’s that simple,” said Sen. Brown. “Expanding overtime pay would mean more money in the pockets of working class and middle-class Ohioans who work 50, 60, or 70 hours a week. It’s long past time for overtime work to mean overtime pay again.”
The current overtime salary threshold is long overdue for a meaningful update and does not support working families who are struggling to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the Trump Administration’s rule only guarantees full-time, salaried workers who currently earn $35,568 or less overtime compensation. At present, less than roughly 15 percent of all full-time salaried workers are guaranteed overtime pay. This is a vast difference between the protections that were available to workers in the 1970’s when roughly of workers were covered.
The Restoring Overtime Pay Act strengthens overtime protections by increasing the overtime threshold to the 55th percentile of earnings of full-timed salaried workers nationally. The salary threshold could increase to roughly $82,700 by 2027. The bill further requires annual automatic updates to ensure the level remains in line with the changes in our economy. The Restoring Overtime Pay Act helps build an economy that works for everyone and will ensure that American workers are not cheated out of the pay they earned for the extra hours they worked.