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Roby bill would offer ‘comp time’ in private-sector

    
On Tuesday, House Republicans, led by Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL), introduced the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 (H.R. 1406), legislation that would allow private-sector workers to receive paid time off or “comp time” for overtime hours worked. The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will convene a legislative hearing TOMORROW at 10 a.m. to discuss the proposal.

In an op-ed published in the Montgomery Advertiser, Rep. Roby describes why the legislation is needed to help workers balance personal and family responsibilities with the demands of work:

Meet Karen DeLoach, a bookkeeper at the Montgomery accounting firm Diamond, Carmichael, Gary, Patterson and Duke. Like most people in the financial industry, Karen puts in numerous hours during tax season, and therefore she builds up a lot of overtime. Karen would like to be able to cash in some of that overtime, not in pay, but in time off work so she can spend more time with her church’s mission work. Her boss would be happy to offer such a plan, given the seasonal nature of their business, but it is against the law.

Interestingly, offering such “comp time” is perfectly legal in government agencies. So why should the rules be different in the private-sector? Why is the federal government restricting Karen DeLoach and her employer from working out a mutual agreement for how she takes advantage of overtime?

Think about parents of young children; those with elderly parents; military families with one of the spouses about to deploy. They need more time to be able to take care of personal responsibilities.

Today’s workplace has changed, and so has the modern worker. We have different demands on our time, and it only makes sense that our laws catch up to the realities of today’s workplace and today’s families. Getting paid “time and a half” for earned overtime is a workplace right that won’t change. However, for some workers, having extra paid time off is actually more valuable than money.

The bottom line is this: Why should Washington tell an employee and employer whether or not they can offer “comp time?” My bill would cut out an unnecessary regulation and help provide more freedoms for employees.

To read the full op-ed, click here.

To learn more about Thursday’s hearing on H.R. 1406, click here.

To learn more about the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013, click here.

                                                                                                                            

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