Extending Basic Wage Protections to Home Health Care Workers the Right Thing to Do, Says Rep. George Miller
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the Department of Labor published a final rule today that extends basic minimum wage and overtime protections to two million home care workers. The final regulation, also known as the “companionship rule,” would update an exemption to wage protections meant to apply to those individuals who provide elder sitting services similar to casual babysitting.
“Today’s action by the Obama administration to ensure that millions of home care workers are covered by the nation’s overtime and minimum wage laws is long overdue and the right thing to do. Many home care workers work long hours providing services that go well beyond the companionship that Congress envisioned when this exemption was first created. Home care is an important, multi-billion dollar industry, and yet much of its workforce has to rely on public benefits to make ends meet. These workers deserve to be covered by fair wage laws just like others who perform similar duties outside of clients’ homes,” said Rep. Miller.
Home care workers help patients live in their homes and assist them with eating, dressing, bathing, preparing meals, medication management, light travel and other services. However, the median annual wage for home care workers is under $20,000 a year, which has led to high turnover rates and increased employers’ costs that also affect the quality of care the client receives. In addition, the home care industry makes profits of 30 to 40 percent in a $70 billion a year industry.
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