DOL Formally Restores Pre-2024 Overtime Rules Following Court Vacatur

May 15, 2026

What's New

The Department of Labor has issued a technical amendment removing the 2024 revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) white collar overtime regulations and restoring the regulatory text that was in effect before those changes.

The amendment implements federal court judgments vacating the 2024 rule and follows DOL’s recent dismissal of pending appeals challenging those rulings. As a result, the salary thresholds and related provisions adopted in 2019 are again formally reflected in the Code of Federal Regulations.

What It Means

The Biden era increases to the salary thresholds for the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions are now definitively nullified. Employers may continue to rely on the pre 2024 exemption framework, including the $684 per week salary level and existing highly compensated employee standard. The technical amendment does not change current compliance obligations; it simply aligns the regulatory text with court decisions already in effect.

What You Should Do

While compliance obligations are not impacted by this announcement, employers may wish to confirm that internal policies and reference materials reflect the restored regulatory thresholds. Employers should also be mindful that it is possible the Labor Department will again revisit these salary levels in the future. Several states also maintain salary levels higher than the federal regulations. For a more comprehensive review, consider enrolling in our course Fundamentals of Wage and Hour Compliance.

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