The Department of Labor has finalized the rule for the salary threshold that determines whether an employee is exempt from overtime rules. On December 1, that amount will increase for most positions to $47,476 a year, and will be subject to automatic increases every three years.
The department estimates that the rule will directly affect 200,000 hospital workers and 300,000 nonhospital healthcare workers, says Christopher S. Mayer, a management-side employment litigator with McCarter & English, which represents several healthcare employers. He recommends that healthcare organizations look carefully at positions including managers, nurses, medical and physical therapists, and medical and pharmacy technicians to see whether they fall under this new rule.