As 2023 comes to a close, so did the notice-and-comment period for the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rule increasing the minimum salary required for employees to be exempt under any of the “White Collar Exemptions” from overtime pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). With that period closing in November, it can be anticipated that steps will be taken in the upcoming election year to implement the new rule.

As a reminder, and as explained in our previous blog post, the DOL has proposed the threshold salary level for exemption from overtime be raised from $35,568/year ($684/week) to $55,000/year ($1,059/year). It also proposes increasing the Highly Compensated Employee exemption threshold to $143,988 annually. The rule will not modify the duties necessary for exemption qualification. Employers may wish to keep these thresholds in mind as they review and implement compensation decisions in the new year. 

Employers should also take note that six states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, New York, and Washington) have minimum salary requirements for overtime exemption that both exceed the current federal level and will further increase on January 1, 2024.