Attorney General Becerra Urges U.S. Department of Labor to Set Overtime Standards That Allow Workers to Keep the Pay They Have Earned

Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Becerra today called on the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to adopt overtime rules that protect the pay of Americans who work extra hours. Under President Obama’s leadership, USDOL in 2016 made the first meaningful updates to the overtime rule in decades, covering an additional 4 million workers by ensuring that they could not be denied overtime pay because they fell into the “executive, administrative, and professional” (EAP) exemption, or white-collar exemption, to minimum wage and overtime requirements under federal law. The Trump Administration is threatening to lower or eliminate the already inadequate salary standard for the EAP exemption, which would remove protections for millions of workers who were set to take home the overtime pay they deserve.

Along with eight fellow attorneys general, Attorney General Becerra advocated for an increase in the minimum salary at which an employee could be considered to fall within the EAP exception.

“Overtime pay is based on the simple principle that if you work extra, you should get paid extra,” said Attorney General Becerra. “America should not be known as the land of sweatshops. This great nation can and must do better at protecting our workers and ensuring they get a fair day's pay for a fair's day work. The U.S. Department of Labor should adopt an overtime standard that honors the labor of our workers and pays them the overtime they have earned.” 

Attorney General Becerra was joined in this letter by the attorneys general of Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and Washington. 

Attorney General Becerra has made it a priority to champion the rights of working people. On August 16, Attorney General Becerra filed an amicus brief in support of the rights of workers to take collective action. The Underground Economy Unit at the California Department of Justice aggressively protects our state’s workers, legitimate businesses, and taxpayers.

A copy of the letter to USDOL is attached to the electronic version of this release at oag.ca.gov/news.

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