WorldatWork Quotes Brett Bartlett on AI’s Potential Impact on Exempt Employee Status

WorldatWork quoted Brett Bartlett, co-chair of Seyfarth’s national Wage and Hour Litigation practice group, in its article, “Might AI Usage Remove Employees’ Exempt Status, Trigger More OT Costs?” The piece, published on September 14, 2026, explores how increasing workplace use of artificial intelligence could affect employee classifications under the Fair Labor Standards Act and whether employers may face heightened overtime risks.

Bartlett noted that while AI is reshaping how employees perform their work, its use does not automatically undermine the duties that support exempt status. He emphasized that many professionals are using AI to enhance their effectiveness rather than replace the judgment and responsibilities that justify their classifications.

“It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that employees’ use of AI might tear away from some of them the justification for classifying them as exempt, but it’s very important to consider that most exempt employees who use AI are operating at a fairly sophisticated level and are able (or are learning) to use AI to supplement their roles, i.e., to do their work more effectively. They are not abandoning the duties that justified their competitive salaries.”

The full article is available here.