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Judge Blocks New Overtime Rule

Post: Dec. 1, 2016

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On Tuesday, November 22, just before Thanksgiving U.S. District Court Judge Mazzant issued a nationwide injunction preventing the implementation of the Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule previously set to take effect on December. The Court found that the Department of Labor had likely exceeded its statutory authority in setting a salary threshold higher than necessary to exempt “any employee employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity.” Because the current salary threshold increase was unlawful under the plain meaning of the statute, the Department of Labor “also lacks the authority to implement the automatic updating mechanism.”

While the Department of Labor is likely to appeal the decision, the timing is such that the fate of the overtime rule is now in the hands of the 115th Congress and the incoming Trump Administration. Until this rule is officially withdrawn by the Department of Labor or no appeal of the case is sought, it could come back again with an unfavorable ruling on appeal. Read the full press release from NAM.