Press Releases

Labor Committee Republicans today repeated their calls for a more flexible, family-friendly workplace, particularly by eliminating barriers in federal labor law that prohibit workers and employers from agreeing to more flexible work arrangements. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), the top Republican on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, argued that workplace flexibility, particularly voluntary policies adopted by employers, can provide great benefit to working families and the companies that employ them. At the same time, Rep. Price cautioned that costly new government mandates could actually harm workers, particularly in the midst of a deep recession, by forcing benefit and pay cuts, or even job losses.

“Workplace flexibility and work/life benefits have become a bottom line issue for many companies, becoming critical components of workplace effectiveness and attracting human capital. Research has shown that such programs can boost motivation, productivity and morale for workers, and I would suggest that most employers understand the effectiveness and necessity of having a family-friendly workplace,” said Rep. Price.

“As we engage in policy discussions about workplace benefits and coverage, we must not ignore the implications of placing costly government-imposed mandates on employers, many of whom are small businesses trying to stay afloat in the current economic climate,” Rep. Price went on to note. “The reality is that businesses today are struggling with shrinking budgets, tightened credit, decreased demand for their products and services, and now a federal budget proposal that will drastically increase taxes on small businesses. Mandating new benefits, and thereby increasing the cost of labor, may well have the effect of jeopardizing many employers’ ability to maintain employment levels and further stifle job creation and opportunity. Having Congress dictate a ‘one-size-fits-all’ labor structure for all businesses will eventually limit creative work arrangements between employers and their employees.”

The subcommittee heard from Michelle Bernard, President of the Independent Women’s Forum, on how best to achieve balanced policies that promote flexibility without further hampering an already struggling economy.

“I’m a big believer in family-friendly workplaces. But government mandates are the wrong way to get us there,” said Bernard. “The best way is to encourage a thriving economy that offers workers numerous job opportunities so that we can negotiate arrangements that make sense for our unique situations."

“Government can help women by encouraging more job creation and making it easier for women to start businesses of their own. Start by simplifying our tax code, which is a drag on everyone’s time, but particularly on those who run small businesses,” Bernard explained. “Lower taxes, particularly taxes directly related to job creation. Reduce regulations that drive up costs and make doing business more complicated and expensive. End the counterproductive taxes that discourage savings so that people are better able to provide for themselves in times of need.”

To promote workplace flexibility, Republicans led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) have proposed the Family-Friendly Workplace Act (H.R. 933), a bill that would eliminate barriers in federal law that prevent private sector workers from choosing more flexible work arrangements.

The Family-Friendly Workplace Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act, a law enacted in 1938 that prohibits private sector employers from giving their employees the option of paid time off as compensation for working overtime hours. Private sector workers are denied this flexibility under federal law despite the fact that public sector employees have long enjoyed the flexibility of a “comp time” option.

H.R. 933 allows employers to offer employees the choice of paid time off in lieu of cash wages for overtime hours worked if the employee prefers to take compensatory time instead of overtime pay. However, an employee is always entitled to opt for overtime cash wages. An employee opting to take “comp time” receives paid time off at a rate of one-and-one-half hours of compensatory time per hour of “overtime” pay earned. For example, an employee working 48 hours in a week would receive either eight hours of pay at time-and-a-half or twelve hours of paid time off.

For more information on the Family-Friendly Workplace Act and Republican efforts to promote workplace flexibility, please visit the Education and Labor Committee Republican website.

 

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