The federal Department of Labor (DOL) has published the final version of the long awaited FLSA regulations on the White Collar Overtime Exemptions. Businesses in Salem and the surrounding areas need to prepare for implementation.
DOL estimates the new rule will eliminate overtime exempt status for approximately 21.4 million employees (national estimate). All businesses will be affected…small and large, private and public, non-profit and for-profit across all industry sectors will be impacted.
DOL has recently added 350 new investigators. Supervisors can be found personally liable – ie. personally fined by DOL – for not complying with FLSA rules, not just company owners and executives.
The potential misclassification of employees when implementing the rule can expose companies to significant legal and compensatory costs, to include; payment of back wages, double damages, class action lawsuits, DOL audits, and payment of plaintiff’s attorney’s fees.
Compliance deadline is December 1st.
More information can be found at the Department of Labor website: https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/
A version of this announcement originally published by the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce