05.02.17

Scott Statement on Republicans’ Harmful Bill Stripping Workers of Overtime Pay

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House Republicans passed (229-197) H.R. 1180, the Working Families Flexibility Act, which strips working people of their overtime pay.

“Today the House voted on H.R. 1180 and 191 Democrats voted against this proposal. H.R. 1180 amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to permit employers to pay employees for hours worked beyond 40 in a week in compensatory time off (one and one-half hours of paid time off at some point in the future) instead of providing time-and-a-half pay in an employee's next paycheck. H.R. 1180 undermines the vital protections in the Fair Labor Standards Act by making it cheaper for employers to require their employees to work excessive hours and legal to deny workers their overtime pay. Furthermore, H.R. 1180 does not give employees any rights they don't already have. Under current law, if an employee wants to work overtime, put that money in the bank where it can earn interest, and use it to cover her expenses when she takes time off from work, she can already do that.  Committee Democrats continue to support responsible solutions to the struggles facing working families that do not force them to choose between time with their families and their hard-earned pay--paid family leave, fair work schedules, equal pay for equal work, a higher minimum wage, and strengthened overtime protections.”

FACT SHEET: Working Families Flexibility Act

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