NNA applauds new overtime regulations

The National Newspaper Association applauded U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao for sticking to the basics in rewriting the regulations for overtime pay for American workers.

NNA President Robert Sweeny, publisher of the Denver-based Villager Newspapers, said Chao deserved high marks for listening to many constituents in the rewrite, including the NNA.

“We sought two things,” Sweeny said. “We wanted to eliminate the almost automatic assumption that weekly newspaper journalists are somehow ‘less than’ their daily brethren. We also wanted clearer guidance on when the Fair Labor Standards Act does apply to newsroom staff, so we could help to minimize the growing litigation that is clogging the courts and confusing both our managers and our journalists. NNA achieved both goals,” he said.

The new rules make clear that some journalists are covered by the labor standards while others may not be. The dividing line will be by the nature of their functions, and not by the frequency of their publications, Sweeny said. For example, a beginning reporter whose only job is to cover city council and school board meetings probably is non-exempt, and will earn overtime after 40 hours a week. A reporter who also edits, writes a column or editorials and provides some news commentary probably will be exempt as a “creative professional.”

The exemption for newspapers under 4,000 circulation remains in the law. 

“I’m pleased that we have cleared up some of the mystery,” Sweeny said. “NNA’s members value their newsroom staffs, and work with their journalists to come up with hours that serve the community’s need for news and the journalist’ need to have a life. The rules will help us all to be on the right side of the law.”

The new rules are expected to be challenged in Congress.