Harrisburg, pa – Tens of thousands of people are expected to see a pay bump this year, thanks to a new federal overtime rule.
The regulation is backed by The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and applies to hourly employees who work more than 40 hours a week, as well as salaried workers making less than $35,500 a year.
The rule is expected to benefit about 61,000 people in the state.
"Giving my employees their due is the right thing to do," said Lisa Cristo, Harrisburg. “It helps the employees to stay with you and they are willing to do a little because you are showing them a little more respect and appreciation for the hard work that they are doing," she added.
Some say they are surprised to hear the law wasn’t passed sooner.
“I thought it already was, if you work over 40 hours, you deserve to be paid," said Nicholas Will, Harrisburg.
The minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour in Pennsylvania.
It has been the same since 2009.
"I feel like it will help the minority league by helping boost their cash income to pay bills and get their lives together, so I think it’s a pretty good law," said Raheem Brady, Harrisburg.
Governor Tom Wolf is making efforts to boost the minimum wage and has been actively proposing an increase to $15 an hour by 2025.
“This final regulation ensures that employees who work overtime are fairly and fully compensated for their labor in accordance with the original intent of the Pennsylvania minimum wage act.” - PA Department of Labor & Industry
A bill to gradually raise minimum wage in Pennsylvania to $9.50 an hour by 2022 passed the senate, but has yet to see action in the state house.