At last, the final version of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) overtime rule has been issued. The final rule will:
-Raise the salary threshold for overtime eligibility for “white collar” workers from $455/week to $913 per week or $47,476 per year, effecting a projected 4.2 million workers.
-Automatically update the salary threshold every three years, based on wage growth over time.
-Amend the highly compensated employees subject to a minimal dutes test salary from $100,000 to $134,004 per year.
-Go into effect December 1, 2016.
We won’t quote Joe Biden here, but this is a big….deal. With six months to prepare, do not wait until the last minute. Be sure your employees are properly classified with an employment audit. Running afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is expensive with big penalties, plus the possibility of class action lawsuits.
In other less shattering but important news:
The EEOC just released their final rules regarding employer wellness plans. The ten second version: the EEOC’s final rules describe how Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply to wellness programs offered by employers that request health information from employees and their spouses. The guidance applies to both employers and employees about how workplace wellness programs can comply with the ADA and GINA consistent with provisions governing wellness programs in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, as amended by the Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act).
Time to take a closer look at your Wellness Plan. No good deed goes unpunished.
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