# Department of Labor to Hold “Listening Sessions” on Overtime Rule Written on August 27, 2018. Remember the uproar about the increase in the salary threshold for certain overtime exemptions? Although implementation of the substantial salary threshold increase proposed by the Obama administration never came to fruition, the issue has not gone away entirely. Today, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor announced that in the upcoming weeks it will hold "public listening sessions" to gather views on the Part 541 white collar exemption regulations, often referred to as the "Overtime Rule." Issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act, these regulations implement exemptions from overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professional, and certain other employees. The Department plans to update the Overtime Rule and is interested in hearing the views and ideas of participants on possible revisions to the regulations. According to its website, the WHD seeks public input on questions such as: - What is the appropriate salary level (or range of salary levels) above which the overtime exemptions for bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employees may apply? - Why? - What benefits and costs to employees and employers might accompany an increased salary level? - How would an increased salary level affect real wages (e.g., increasing overtime pay for employees whose current salaries are below a new level but above the current threshold)? - Could an increased salary level reduce litigation costs by reducing the number of employees whose exemption status is unclear? - Could this additional certainty produce other benefits for employees and employers? - What is the best methodology to determine an updated salary level? - Should the update derive from wage growth, cost-of-living increases, actual wages paid to employees, or some other measure? - Should the Department more regularly update the standard salary level and the total-annual-compensation level for highly compensated employees? - If so, how should these updates be made? - How frequently should updates occur? - What benefits, if any, could result from more frequent updates? If you or your business want to share your thoughts with the WHD about these issues, you can attend the listening sessions in any of the following cities: September 7, 2018, 10am-12pm Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta 3315 Peachtree Rd NE- Trippe Room **Atlanta, GA** September 11, 2018, 10am-12pm Jackson Federal Building 912 2nd Ave., Ste. 566 **Seattle, WA** September 13, 2018, 10am-12pm Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza One E 45th St, -Ballroom A/B **Kansas City, MO** September 14, 2018, 10am-12pm Remington Arms Room DFC- Building 41 **Denver, CO** September 24, 2018, 10am-12pm Rhode Island Convention Center 1 Sabin Street- Room 551A/B **Providence, RI** There is no fee to attend the listening sessions; however, registration is required. We expect that there will be some increase in the salary threshold for the overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professional, and certain other employees, but it will not be as large as the one proposed by the Obama administration. We will continue to provide updates on this issue. - [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fdepartment-of-labor-to-hold-listening-sessions-on-overtime-rule.md&text=) - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fdepartment-of-labor-to-hold-listening-sessions-on-overtime-rule.md) - [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimlaw.com%2Farticles%2Fdepartment-of-labor-to-hold-listening-sessions-on-overtime-rule.md) - [](mailto:?subject=Department%20of%20Labor%20to%20Hold%20%E2%80%9CListening%20Sessions%E2%80%9D%20on%20Overtime%20Rule) ![Kathleen J. Jennings](https://wimlaw.com/images/resources/articles/2020/06/kathleen-portrait-300.jpg) Kathleen J. Jennings Former Principal Kathleen J. Jennings is a former principal in the Atlanta office of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider, & Stine, P.C. She defends employers in employment matters, such as sexual harassment, discrimination, Wage and Hour, OSHA, restrictive covenants, and other employment litigation and provides training and counseling to employers in employment matters. ## Related Content ## Get Email Updates Receive newsletters and alerts directly in your email inbox. Sign up below. ## Recent Content [ Articles ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=205) [ ![chaotic light lines](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/33/soheb-zaidi-yuv1FPyZdR0-unsplash-33611845.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1604:termination-tps-status-july-10-update&catid=52)### [TPS UPDATE! Termination of TPS Status for Haitians, Syrians, Somalians, South Sudanese, Yemeni, Ethiopians, and Burmese](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1604:termination-tps-status-july-10-update&catid=52) [Alerts](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=52) On July 10, 2026, E-Verify notified employers that work authorization is extended temporarily through July 24, 2026, for workers from the f… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1604:termination-tps-status-july-10-update&catid=52) [ ![connected spheres](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/12/d-koi-COFXWa6LJdw-unsplash-12ea6ce5.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1598:dol-joint-employer-rule&catid=53)### [DOL Issues New Joint Employer Rule Proposal](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1598:dol-joint-employer-rule&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on April 22, 2026, a new proposed rule clarifying when multiple employers are jointly liable f… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1598:dol-joint-employer-rule&catid=53) [ ![plaintiff sign](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/89/wesley-tingey-mlGJB5D9IS0-unsplash-898571c2.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1599:scotus-drivers-exempt-faa-arbitration&catid=53)### [The Supreme Court Again Addresses Whether Drivers Are Exempt from FAA Arbitration Agreements ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1599:scotus-drivers-exempt-faa-arbitration&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) The Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) encourages the use and enforcement of arbitration agreements, although the Act contains an exception for… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1599:scotus-drivers-exempt-faa-arbitration&catid=53) [ ![3](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/a0/marcel-eberle-FGYv8CDQBmg-unsplash-a0ece82f.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1600:nlrb-member-trump-nominee-change&catid=53)### [Trump Nominates Third NLRB Member, Whose Confirmation Signals Potential for Change ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1600:nlrb-member-trump-nominee-change&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) On April 13, 2026, President Trump nominated James Macy to fill the third vacant Republican seat on the National Labor Relations Board (NLR… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1600:nlrb-member-trump-nominee-change&catid=53) [ ![deception](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/3e/mick-haupt-2vCvnNhsi6E-unsplash-3e10d265.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1601:defendant-sues-plaintiff-fabricated-sex-harassment&catid=53)### [Defendant Sues Plaintiff Over “Fabricated” Sex Harassment Claims](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1601:defendant-sues-plaintiff-fabricated-sex-harassment&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) An employer official named in a graphic sexual harassment suit brought a counter-claim against her accuser for defamation, calling his alle… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1601:defendant-sues-plaintiff-fabricated-sex-harassment&catid=53) [ ![pointing to computer](https://wimlaw.com/media/yootheme/cache/07/john-FlPc9_VocJ4-unsplash-07928d89.jpg) ](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1602:federal-workers-tougher-performance-reviews&catid=53)### [Federal Workers to Get New and Tougher Performance Reviews](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1602:federal-workers-tougher-performance-reviews&catid=53) [Employment Law Newsletter: A Monthly Report On Labor Law Issues](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=53) No personnel issues have been debated longer and more thoroughly than that of the utility of performance reviews. Some argue that such rev… [Read more](https://wimlaw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1602:federal-workers-tougher-performance-reviews&catid=53) ### Additional Legal Resources [### Newsletter Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/newsletters) [### Books Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/publications/books) [### Alerts Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/alerts) [### Articles Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/articles) [### Audits Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/audits) [### Events Explore ](https://wimlaw.com/events)