STATE GOVERNMENT
Support restoring overtime in Washington
Submit comments in support of L&I’s proposed OT rule; deadline extended to Sept. 20
UPDATE — The Department of Labor and Industries announced Tuesday that it has extended the public comment deadline to Friday, Sept. 20. Story updated.
TAKE A STAND! — The deadline for submitting comments in support of the state Department of Labor and Industries’s (L&I) proposed rule to restore overtime protections is Friday, Sept. 20. Civic Action has set up a one-click web form for you to submit a comment of support, or you can email comments to EAPrules@Lni.wa.gov. Please take a moment to submit your comments in support of the rule TODAY!
BACKGROUND — With the support of Gov. Jay Inslee, L&I announced in June its long-awaited proposed rule to restore overtime pay rights. The state has proposed to gradually increase the overtime salary threshold, under which all workers in the state must be paid time-and-a-half for working beyond a 40-hour workweek, to 2.5 times the state minimum wage by 2026. That would mean anyone making less than about $80,000 per year seven years from now, regardless of whether they are classified as hourly or salaried employees, would get time-and-a-half pay beyond 40 hours per week.
Thanks to decades of trickle-down economic policies rigging our economy for the rich and big businesses, the average salaried worker now working 49 hours per week — and almost all of them are working those extra 9 hours for free. Think about that: That means four workers are currently doing the work of five people – and while they’re working those extra hours without getting overtime pay, they’re losing out on irreplaceable time with friends, family, and community.
Brown added that L&I’s proposed rule will help restore some balance to the working lives of thousands of Washington families.
“When your workweek never ends, your life becomes a constant scramble, and it’s almost impossible to maintain your health, care for your family, and make some time for yourself,” Brown said. “But when an employer has to pay more for extra work hours, it means more parents have more time for their children, more neighbors have time for their communities, and more people have time to pursue their passions.”
Please add your comment in support of this important and long-overdue rule restoring overtime pay.