New US Overtime Pay Regulation Could Hurt School Kids And Here's Why

Workers in America would soon receive increased pay under the new overtime pay regulation that the Labor Department will impose. While this might benefit parents who are trying to make ends meet for their families, some argue that it could hurt school kids in the long run.

Under the proposed overtime pay regulation, workers earning $50,440 a year will now be eligible to receive payment for their extra hours. This has been increased from a previous labor law that only allowed overtime payments for those earning less than $23,660 full time.

Restaurant workers, store managers or support staff who work 50 to 60 hours a week, as opposed to the regular 40 hours a week, did not used to get overtime pay since their yearly salary is beyond the cutoff. However, the new directive changes all of this once it is imposed and five million American workers should benefit from it.

Overtime Pay Regulation Is Great For Hard-Working Americans

"[The] proposed regulation is a critical first step toward ensuring that hard-working Americans are compensated fairly and have a chance to get ahead," per the notice from the U.S. Department of Labor. The proposal has been in the White House since 2014 and its effectivity date is nearing.

Gawker reports that it could be implemented beginning summer. Business owners and companies have been given enough time to adapt to the changes.

Obama unveils regulation expanding overtime pay to nearly 5 million salaried workers: https://t.co/Df5BSyc4au pic.twitter.com/F1X6ey0Xrk

— The Hill (@thehill) June 30, 2015

Overtime Pay Regulation And Its Impact On Education

However, while the proposal has good intentions, many companies and establishments might not be able to afford the shift even with the time given. USA Today reports that schools and programs for children might see a decline in services because there might not be enough funds to support overtime pay regulation.

While teachers are exempted from this under the Fair Labor Standards Act, staff members in schools who do administrative and operational work, such as finance, data and building management, will be forced to strictly watch their work hours on the time clock if the budget is tight. Some of these employees are driven to help kids even after working hours.

What can happen now is that they might be asked by school administrators to not exceed the usual 40-hours work week so they won't have to charge for overtime. This change comes in light of existing budget cuts already being made in public schools.

What's your take on the overtime pay regulation and do you think the government should make additional exemptions for certain institutions?