This is only accurate inasmuch as most salaried employees are overtime exempt for other reasons (e.g. because they are executive or administrative professionals). Paying employees a salary, on its own, does not make them overtime exempt.
One that comes to mind is an on-site caretaker position (e.g. on a remote property), where the employee is effectively being paid to be available, not to do a certain number of hours of work.
This is only accurate inasmuch as most salaried employees are overtime exempt for other reasons (e.g. because they are executive or administrative professionals). Paying employees a salary, on its own, does not make them overtime exempt.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17a-overtime
Is there ever a situation where it makes sense to pay fixed salaries to non-exempt employees?
One that comes to mind is an on-site caretaker position (e.g. on a remote property), where the employee is effectively being paid to be available, not to do a certain number of hours of work.
Sometimes overtime bonuses get used as an incentive for salaried employees to work more but I guess it's more a bonus than overtime pay.