Expanded overtime eligibility. Paid-family-leave mandates. What to do with the tax on high-end health plans.
These HR-related issues haven’t generated the presidential campaign trail buzz of Donald Trump’s proposal to ban people of Muslim faith from entering the United States, or Hillary Clinton’s use of personal e-mail for government purposes. But they’re crucial to HR professionals and, by extension, millions of American employees. And they reflect some of the most consequential domestic policy decisions the new 45th president will confront.
With the first primaries fast approaching, voters will be asked to consider several issues critical to HR as they weigh which candidates best address their greatest concerns. Consider the proposed changes to federal regulations that would increase the pool of workers eligible for overtime pay—announced by President Barack Obama in June 2015—which, in general, Democrats favor and Republicans oppose.
Under current federal rules, employees earning up to $455 a week, or $23,660 annually, qualify for overtime pay. The Obama administration’s proposal would increase the number of workers eligible for overtime by more than doubling the threshold to $970 a week, or $50,440 each year. If the changes are enacted, more than 5 million workers could see a boost in take-home pay.
