Employers still have to pay overtime to some salaried workers

wage laws help ensure that hard-working employees receive fair compensation when their employers demand a significant amount of time from them. Typically, hourly workers can count on receiving 150% of their average hourly wage when they work more than 40 hours in a week.
In some cases, salaried workers also qualify for overtime pay, although their employers may not openly inform them of this fact. How can you determine if you may qualify for overtime as a salaried worker?

People with low salaries may not be exempt from overtime requirements

It is the higher compensation typically associated with a salary that exempts the employee from overtime requirements for extra work. When companies pay low salaries, they may still have to pay a worker time-and-a-half if they demand more than 40 hours a week.
If your salary isn’t at least $35,568, then your employer should pay you overtime if you have to work more than 40 hours a week. That amount breaks down to $684 per week before taxes. You may have been putting in overtime every week for years without realizing that your employer should pay you for that time. The other workers at your company may be in the same position if they make the same wages you do.

Ideally, your employer would quickly remedy the situation when you let them know that they failed to pay you overtime. Unfortunately, you may have to take legal action to get the wages you deserve. Learning more about compensation rules can help you demand fair pay from an employer denying you the wages you have already earned.