GOP seeks alternative to overtime pay

[TheDictator]

WASHINGTON (AP) — It seems like a simple proposition: give employees who work more than 40 hours a week the option of taking paid time off instead of overtime pay.
The choice already exists in the public sector. Federal and state workers can save earned time off and use it weeks or even months later to attend a parent-teacher conference, care for an elderly parent or deal with home repairs.
Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation that would extend that option to the private sector. They say that would bring more flexibility to the workplace and help workers better balance family and career.

[killianr1]

With the on set of Obamacare, more and more companies will not offer 40 hours a week.

[nic34]

An over-time proposal from people who work part-time with FULL benefits.... FANTASTIC!

When you congresspeople advocate that EVERY part-time worker receive FULL benefits like YOU enjoy, then maybe folks MIGHT consider a proposal concerning workers rights......

But beware, the bill provides no guarantee that workers would be able to take the time off when they want.... and I wouldn't support anything like this for fear paid vacations would be nullified and workers forced to use their overtime as vacation instead.

Not going anywhere.

[Peter1469]

Can't companies figure this out on their own, without the government getting involved?

[nic34]

Good point peter....

[simpsonofpg]

this is just a thought but how about paying people for the hours they work and nothing more. I don't undrstand getting paid for sick leave when you are not sick. When I started working if I wasn't sick I didn't get paid and I didn't get vacation carryover. A lot of federal works have months of unused time, I known one that had almost a year when he would stay home and get full pay.

[Common]

Compensatory time is what its called, Unions decades ago fought against it because it was abused by employers big and small. They used it as a tool to avoid paying time and half they must pay for over 40 hours work. They used comp time as hour for hour and refused employees to take time off when they needed it or when they wanted it. Employers made them use the time instead in lieu of short term layoffs. I believe there were laws written to stop the practice.
Now of course the GOP wants to protect and help their rich benefactors by trying to get this law back on the books, another nail in working americas coffin
The only way this bill should pass with STRICT law written into it that comp time can be used ONLY on the employees request issued at time and a half and the employee can take the time when requested. Other than that its another end run to stick it to the working class.

[patrickt]

When I was working the FLSA rules were changed and mandated overtime pay and no comp time unless it was taken off within a 40-hour period. Where I worked the employees had the option of 1.5 overtime pay or 1.5 comp time off with no limit on when it was used, beyond staffing.

People where I worked used vacation time for family and comp time for hunting trips, ski trips, and other activities they enjoyed.

So, I called Washington. Department of Labor, I believe. I was asking if we had a vote and 100% of the employees wanted comp time as an option for them, could we do it? No! Absolutely not. It was unfair to the employees. I was shocked and argued. Absolutely not. You can't do it.

Then I realized what it was really about. Income tax. If you get overtime pay the government skims their take. If you get comp time, they don't. When I told the person on the phone that it was really about taxes I thought the line had gone dead. It was to benefit employees and he said he wouldn't discuss it further.

A year later the rules changed back to favor employees over taxes. Now, the liberals want their tax scam back.

In dealing with politicians, especially liberal politicians, you should always follow the money.

[zelmo1234]

Compensatory time is what its called, Unions decades ago fought against it because it was abused by employers big and small. They used it as a tool to avoid paying time and half they must pay for over 40 hours work. They used comp time as hour for hour and refused employees to take time off when they needed it or when they wanted it. Employers made them use the time instead in lieu of short term layoffs. I believe there were laws written to stop the practice.
Now of course the GOP wants to protect and help their rich benefactors by trying to get this law back on the books, another nail in working americas coffin
The only way this bill should pass with STRICT law written into it that comp time can be used ONLY on the employees request issued at time and a half and the employee can take the time when requested. Other than that its another end run to stick it to the working class.

While this topic is very shortly going to become obsolete, as america shifts from a full time one job company to a part time work force, here is the problem that I have with not allowing the compay to have some say in the timeing of the compensation!

Lets say your compane has a big event, for examples home furnishing stores have taken the 4th of July holiday and made it a huge sale weekend to drive business. So you have several empolyees that say screw you, we are taking that weekend off, becase we want to we don't care that it is a very large percentage of your summer revenues

Your plan would give them that oppertunity, even though they knew when they took the job that they would be working the weekend of the 4th!

[zelmo1234]

When I was working the FLSA rules were changed and mandated overtime pay and no comp time unless it was taken off within a 40-hour period. Where I worked the employees had the option of 1.5 overtime pay or 1.5 comp time off with now limit on when it was used, beyond staffing.

People where I worked used vacation time for family and comp time for hunting trips, ski trips, and other activities they enjoyed.

So, I called Washington. Department of Labor, I believe. I was asking if we had a vote and 100% of the employees wanted comp time as an option for them, could we do it? No! Absolutely not. It was unfair to the employees. I was shocked and argued. Absolutely not. You can't do it.

Then I realized what it was really about. Income tax. If you get overtime pay the government skims their take. If you get comp time, they don't. When I told the person on the phone that it was really about taxes I thought the line had gone dead. It was to benefit employees and he said he wouldn't discuss it further.

A year later the rules changed back to favor employees over taxes. Now, the liberals want their tax scam back.

I never looked at it that way, of course you are right, this makes total sense now!