The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted 246 to 177, largely along party lines, in favor of legislation which would delay the rule’s effective date by six months, from December 1, 2016, to June 1, 2017.  Prior to the anticipated late night vote on the bill in the House, Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the legislation in the Senate, requesting “delay of this rule to give the economy more time to prepare for it.”  In a statement, the White House promised to veto the bill, claiming the “real goal” of the bill was to “delay and then deny overtime pay to workers.”

Given that the legislation does not appear to have sufficient votes to override President Obama’s likely veto, employers should prepare for the changes to the exemptions to ensure they are compliant by December 1, 2016.