WASHINGTON (June 30, 2015) - The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, today issued the following statement on the Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed rule to raise the threshold of overtime pay for salaried employees working over 40 hours per week from $23,660 to $50,440.

"As an industry responsible for nearly 2 million jobs in communities across America, AH&LA supports policies and regulations that ensure a fair and equitable working environment for both employees and employers. That's why today's announcement by the Department of Labor is so disappointing," said Vanessa Sinders, Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs. "The proposed changes to overtime rules will hurt our employees and severely impact small business owners, who will be unable to continue the pace of job growth that has been so vital to boosting the economy. The hotel industry offers good jobs and benefits and fair and reasonable wages that provide accelerated pathways to life-long careers. The majority of jobs in the hotel industry start above the minimum wage and employers should have the flexibility to set salary parameters that foster a strong team environment and allow for good benefits, higher pay, and workable schedules."

"AH&LA will be filing official comments in the Federal Register during the open comment period to ensure that the DOL fully understands how these rules will negatively impact businesses across America from promoting growth and job stability."

For more information on the Department of Labor's proposed rule, please click here.