Naturally, I don't think the Federal government should have a damn thing to say about overtime policies in private organizations, but I suppose that's neither here nor there. At the very least, this sort of regulation should be at the state level, if it existed at all.

The fact that the regulations are as bizarre as they are should be a warning to those who think such micromanaging by the government is a good idea.

Something I'd like to hear more about from anyone working in the health profession:

Do health care organizations actually stick to the minimum standards of these regulations under normal conditions, or do they conform to more worker-friendly standards as expressed, say, through a union contract? One would assume a contract with the local union would supersede Federal regulations, assuming the contract at least met Federal standards. Our local hospital is having heavy union negotiations, and since I assume the hospital must by definition already be following Federal laws on wages and such, the arguments must be over worker benefits that exceed those laws.

Similarly, most people even at low-end jobs get more than minimum wage in a normal job environment.