WAGE AND HOUR EXEMPTION REFORM MOVES FORWARD

Congressional passage of recent spending bills included proposed changes to wage and hour exemption requirements. The wage and hour exemption issues involved supervisory, administrative, professional, computer and sales employees. The final US Department of Labor proposed regulatory changes haven't been issued yet, but expect them within the next few months.

The regulatory changes may help Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) members convert some currently non-exempt employees to exempt status. For example, assistant branch or operations managers could potentially be exempt from overtime requirements under the new regulations.

Until the final regulations are issued and become effective, employers must comply with current regulations regarding which employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime payments.

The PLCAA is the only entity that represents the professional lawn care industry before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, such as the EPA, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation and the Federal Trade Commission. For more information log on to www.plca.org.