Washington Retail posts article reviewing concerns about state overtime rules

Jan 9, 2019
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Written by wpengine
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The online news site of the Business Institute of Washington carries a recent article from Washington Retail reporting on concerns about possible new state rules regarding eligibility for overtime pay.

In short, the state is considering making more employees eligible for overtime pay. Labor & Industries has been working independently from a similar review of overtime eligibility by the federal Department of Labor. The federal review is expected to conclude sometime early this year.

The online site, The Lens, carried the article by Chief Operating Officer Tammie Hetrick and Bruce Beckett, a contract lobbyist for WR. Retailers are concerned about how much new overtime could increase their expenses and discourage new hiring as a result.

National retailers with multiple locations in several states including Washington would prefer a national overtime eligibility standard as opposed to standards that differ from state to state. A patchwork of standards adds to administration costs. Washington Retail has urged state officials to wait until the Department of Labor reaches conclusions from its study of the issue.

WR is following this issue closely and will continue to report on outcomes as they occur.