Republicans push for option of paid time off
The Republican party is fighting to give workers in the private sector the option of taking paid time off instead of overtime pay for their time and attendance when they work more than 40 hours a week, according to The Boston Globe. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on this legislation later this week, but the GOP will be getting opposition from many House Democrats.
The standard 40-hour work week was established through the Fair Labor Standards Act as part of Roosevelt's New Deal. It was meant to provide protection for workers and required employers to pay time and a half for all employee hours over 40 per week, Leo Gerard wrote in a blog for The Huffington Post.
Republicans argue that this new bill will make the workplace more flexible and help employees balance their career and family life. On the other side of the issue, proponents believe that an alternative to overtime pay would put the control in the hands of corporations, The Globe reported. Giving paid time off costs employers less than overtime pay.
"Any time there's a law that will keep extra money in an employer's bank account, they will try to push employees to make that choice," Phil Jones, an emergency medical technician, told the source.
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