Federal Judge Blocks Obama's Overtime Extension

Washington, DC, November 29, 2016—A federal judge blocked the implementation of an Obama administration rule that would have extended overtime eligibility to some four million Americans, reports NPR, with just more than a week left before the rule was scheduled to take effect.

The Labor Department's overhaul of the overtime rule required employers to pay time-and-a-half to employees who worked more than 40 hours in a week and earned less than $47,476 annually.

That salary threshold is about twice what currently allows workers to be exempted from overtime.

The Department of Labor issued the following statement: "We strongly disagree with the decision by the court, which has the effect of delaying a fair day's pay for a long day's work for millions of hardworking Americans. The department's overtime rule is the result of a comprehensive, inclusive rulemaking process, and we remain confident in the legality of all aspects of the rule. We are currently considering all of our legal options."