Today, it was announced that millions of more Americans will qualify for overtime pay under a final Labor Department regulation. According to The Wall Street Journal, the rule will increase the annual salary threshold that typically determines who qualifies for overtime after working more than 40 hours per week. The threshold is now doubled to $47,476 per year, up from $23,660. Brian Crawford, vice president of government affairs for AH&LA, says that this rule could force many hoteliers to reduce hours and flexibility or cut jobs altogether to stay in business, as roughly half of hotels in the U.S. are operated by small or independent owners. In a letter to petition signers who supported the increase in wages, President Obama justified the change by explaining that better wages will encourage more spending, thus growing the economy for everyone. Read more here.
