It wasn’t just hourly factory jobs that were supposed to come with a 40-hour workweek. Even salaried jobs were supposed to get overtime pay, though very few do do anymore. Overtime protections are the only legal mechanism enforcing work-hour limits, and for 50 years, the salary threshold that determines who qualifies to receive overtime has been left to erode. Employers found another workaround too: just call the sandwich maker a "sandwich manager." Now, the new no-tax-on-overtime deduction isn't protecting workers — it's rewarding the kind of overwork it was overtime was originally designed to punish. Fixing the law governing overtime would be a huge and instant boost not just to the U.S. economy, but to our work-life balance.
Chapters:
00:01:43 Announcements
00:02:32 Retcon: Economic data reliability
00:05:54 Terms & Conditions: Tenterhooks; Perquisite
00:08:23 Big Pilcrow: Overtime
00:45:27 Executive Orders: Badge of shame for working past 40 hours; more colorful cars
00:46:52 Spiritual Sponsors: Awesome first bosses; Faraday e-bike
- Donate to Optimist Economy: https://optimisteconomy.com
- Video-curious? Watch clips on the Optimist Economy YouTube channel. We’re also on Instagram at @optimist_economy or TikTok at @optimist_economy.
- Chat with other Optimists on Substack.
- Find utility with our merch: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy
Got economic questions, concerns, or executive orders? Send them to [email protected]