Proposed legislation would make 55% of salaried workers eligible for overtime, up from 15% today

Do you feel like you’re putting in extra hours at work with nothing to show for it? A new bill just introduced to Congress would change all that.

The “Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2023” has been announced by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and is gaining the endorsement of the National Employment Law Project, AFL-CIO, and the nonprofit WorkMoney. It aims to increase overtime pay eligibility to 55% of all salaried workers in the US, boosted from the current 15%.

If the bill passes, workers who are currently making $36,000 a year would be eligible for overtime pay immediately, with that number increasing each year for the following five years. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) is among the 19 Democrats backing the legislation.

“New Yorkers and Americans all across the country know that recognition and praise for extra hours and overtime shifts doesn’t put food on the table or pay the rent,” Schumer said. “As our economy recovers, it is critical we invest in working Americans getting back on their feet by expanding overtime to pay them what they have earned.”

For those who often find themselves putting in extra hours, this legislation could finally give you