A Texas federal court struck down a rule that would have expanded those eligible for overtime pay. The Department of Labor’s rule would have required overtime pay to most salaried employees who earn less than $47,476 annually. This would have been a dramatic increase from the current salary level of $23,660. The rule was expected to have an extensive effect if implemented, to the tune of more than 4 million workers. The same court had blocked the rule from being enforced in November 2016, but had not yet determined whether the rule was valid. Over 55 business groups challenged the implementation of the rule, and were rewarded in the court’s August 31st ruling finding that the rule exceeded the Department of Labor’s authority.
