GHRA issues comments on proposed federal salary rule

The Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association has issued a Sept. 25 statement on the Federal Register concerning a proposed wage hike by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. 

That would increase the “highly compensated employee total annual compensation threshold” from $55,068 to $143,988.

In addition, “The department is also proposing to add to the regulations an automatic updating mechanism that would allow for the timely and efficient updating of all the earnings thresholds,” the department said in its entry.

On Aug. 30, the U.S. Department of Labor released its proposed overtime rule. This rule, if finalized, would increase the minimum salary amount required to be paid to executive, administrative and professional employees also. U.S. DOL is also proposing automatic updates to these amounts every three years.

Salary exemptions are currently $35,568 annually.  The proposed rules would implement the increased amounts to $55,068 annually for all jurisdictions.

Comments are due by Nov. 7.

Mary P. Rhodes, president of GHRA said, “GHRA will work with the Employers Council, the different chambers and other NGOs to develop a unified response and approach to US DOL for a delayed approach for Guam with the comment period, as well as the salary methodology for certain areas and possible implementation to include U.S. territories.

“We need to work with Guam [Department of Labor] and Delegate Moylan. US DOL has left a little door open for the territories,” Rhodes said, as the department welcomes comments on the data set and the overall methodology for estimating the impact on the territories, as well as welcoming recommendations for additional sources of data on workers in the territories. mbj