Monday, August 23, 2004
day 73/reason 28: got education or imagination? no overtime for you...
Check out this Department of Labor website for information about the new overtime rules.
From what I can tell, generally if you earn over $455 a week (about $23,000/yr), are on salary, and are in a job that required some level of advanced training or education to get the job, you are probably exempt from overtime pay. Except if you are a teacher - then no matter what you earn or whether you are salaried, no overtime for you. Also, it looks like a lot of office employees who deal with "general business operations" will probably be exempt from overtime.
Overall the rules are confusing and rather amusing (if you forget for a moment the negative economic consequences this may have for a lot of people.) Below is the section about the "creative professions".
Maybe they should just institute a "think" test to determine eligibility. If you are in a job that a trained monkey or computer could do, you probably are the only ones eligible for overtime. Congratulations Mr. President... you've just told a lot of American citizens that 1) education will lower your earning ability, 2) creativity is not worth paying overtime, and 3) teachers are not really worth anything at all.
¶ 10:08 AM
Check out this Department of Labor website for information about the new overtime rules.
From what I can tell, generally if you earn over $455 a week (about $23,000/yr), are on salary, and are in a job that required some level of advanced training or education to get the job, you are probably exempt from overtime pay. Except if you are a teacher - then no matter what you earn or whether you are salaried, no overtime for you. Also, it looks like a lot of office employees who deal with "general business operations" will probably be exempt from overtime.
Overall the rules are confusing and rather amusing (if you forget for a moment the negative economic consequences this may have for a lot of people.) Below is the section about the "creative professions".
To qualify for the creative professional employee exemption, all of the following tests must be met:
- The employee must be compensated on a salary or fee basis (as defined in the regulations) at a rate not less than $455 per week;
- The employee’s primary duty must be the performance of work requiring invention, imagination, originality or talent in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.
Maybe they should just institute a "think" test to determine eligibility. If you are in a job that a trained monkey or computer could do, you probably are the only ones eligible for overtime. Congratulations Mr. President... you've just told a lot of American citizens that 1) education will lower your earning ability, 2) creativity is not worth paying overtime, and 3) teachers are not really worth anything at all.
¶ 10:08 AM
