Compliance May 2, 2003

Comp Time Family Bills to be Introduced

February 5, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Two Republican lawmakers have unveiled Congressional proposals to allow non-salaried workers to choose paid time off instead of cash for overtime work as a way to help people juggle work and home chores.
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On the House side, US Representative Judy Biggert (R-Illinois) said her proposal would extend family time benefits to hourly private sector workers. Public employees already have this benefit.

“Many factors impact working women and their pay, including career choices by women who wish to devote greater time to their families — decisions that often mean taking time away from a career,” Biggert said in a statement.  “Women should not have to sacrifice family at the expense of work.  This bill will help ensure that they don’t have to make that choice.”

According to Biggert’s statement, private-sector employees have been denied this benefit because of a 1938 law, the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Meanwhile, on the Senate side, Senator Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, announced a similar bill, The Family Time and Workplace Flexibility Act. Gregg said his proposal would also extend the ability to use comp time instead of pay to the private sector and would also allow workers to figure out their work hours over a two-week period.

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