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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans Propose Weakening Overtime Laws, Call It ‘Family Friendly’
How very Orwellian of them.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/03/24/3638485/republicans-paid-family-leave/
On Tuesday, Republican senators reintroduced a bill intended to address the countrys lack of paid family leave.
The bill, the Family Friendly and Workplace Flexibility Act, would let employers give their workers an option to put their earned overtime hours toward paid family leave, rather than getting paid time-and-a-half for them. Currently, private sector employees can only be paid for extra time on the clock, not use the hours to accrue time off. House Republicans passed a very similar proposal last year.
While Republicans tout it as a way to give employees more flexibility, it could weaken already weak rules that require workers to be paid extra for working extra hours, thus ensuring that workweeks dont grow out of control and employees are compensated fairly. Currently, 21.7 million people are exempt from overtime pay because of the loopholes in the law and likely wouldnt be able to take advantage of the Republican proposal. Meanwhile, opponents have argued that while workers would in theory opt voluntarily to get time off instead of the extra pay, employers would end up with the power to coerce their workers to choose time off.
Employers already often cheat workers out of overtime. They had to pay their workers more than $136 million in back wages last year after denying them overtime pay. But thats an undercount of how widespread the practice is. Its estimated that employers rob employees of more than $50 billion in wages every year by denying overtime and other labor law violations. The vast majority doesnt get reported, but even those who do report wage theft often dont recover any money.
The bill, the Family Friendly and Workplace Flexibility Act, would let employers give their workers an option to put their earned overtime hours toward paid family leave, rather than getting paid time-and-a-half for them. Currently, private sector employees can only be paid for extra time on the clock, not use the hours to accrue time off. House Republicans passed a very similar proposal last year.
While Republicans tout it as a way to give employees more flexibility, it could weaken already weak rules that require workers to be paid extra for working extra hours, thus ensuring that workweeks dont grow out of control and employees are compensated fairly. Currently, 21.7 million people are exempt from overtime pay because of the loopholes in the law and likely wouldnt be able to take advantage of the Republican proposal. Meanwhile, opponents have argued that while workers would in theory opt voluntarily to get time off instead of the extra pay, employers would end up with the power to coerce their workers to choose time off.
Employers already often cheat workers out of overtime. They had to pay their workers more than $136 million in back wages last year after denying them overtime pay. But thats an undercount of how widespread the practice is. Its estimated that employers rob employees of more than $50 billion in wages every year by denying overtime and other labor law violations. The vast majority doesnt get reported, but even those who do report wage theft often dont recover any money.
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Republicans Propose Weakening Overtime Laws, Call It ‘Family Friendly’ (Original Post)
KamaAina
Mar 2015
OP
In MOST work places I've worked taken off is not a practical option, You either work 40 more hours
uponit7771
Mar 2015
#1
The employers will determine it for you as they find a way to weasel out of paying overtime
world wide wally
Mar 2015
#3
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)1. In MOST work places I've worked taken off is not a practical option, You either work 40 more hours
... in preparation to take off or work 40 hours in catch up when coming back
Kingofalldems
(38,508 posts)2. It's a trick. If passed most workers will never see the comp time.
world wide wally
(21,760 posts)3. The employers will determine it for you as they find a way to weasel out of paying overtime
arcane1
(38,613 posts)4. I bet there is no "flexibility" on when the time off can be taken.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)5. I'll second that
they make us take our flex time the very next day! No more saving it for Friday afternoon.