Posted on 05/06/2013 3:15:30 AM PDT by Olog-hai
It seems like a simple proposition: give employees who work more than 40 hours a week the option of taking paid time off instead of overtime pay.
The choice already exists in the public sector. Federal and state workers can save earned time off and use it weeks or even months later to attend a parent-teacher conference, care for an elderly parent or deal with home repairs.
Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation that would extend that option to the private sector. They say that would bring more flexibility to the workplace and help workers better balance family and career.
The push is part of a broader Republican agenda undertaken by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to expand the party’s political appeal to working families. The House is expected to vote on the measure this week, but the Democratic-controlled Senate isn’t likely to take it up. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Typical of the GOPe: taking the lead on more interference in business and private contracts, with the idea that that’ll somehow make liberals vote for their candidates.
I’d rather have the overtime.
Seems like a mute point, since most private sector workers, will only be working 28 hours a week.
How about we reduce the number of government employees by 25%, and let the rest work over time.
With all of the crap going on, why is the GOPe focused on this??
'Course it'll cost me a bundle, and I ain't as young as I used t'be, and I hope it doesn't rain, and I have only 4 days to do it .....
Idiots. They are all idiots.
It could be an option (since so much overtime pay gets eaten by taxes anyway) for those who want it, but there’s a fatal flaw in comparing it to the policies used for civil servants: government employees are paid an average of 20% more than private sector employees for the same job.
So they’re already earning more than most people, and taking time off is just gravy.
I believe this to be mostly unnecessary.
In the Obamacare decade one will be lucky not to be working 2 jobs to get 40 hrs., Much less earning overtime.
Indeed—it is the government pay and standards that should be pared back at least to the level of private pay and standards.
In the FedGov, overtime rates are capped by law at a certain maximum rate. As you rise through the pay scale, overtime stops being time-and-a-half, and eventually becomes less than regular time. In times of budgetary difficulty, overtime pay is generally not authorized at all, so taking the compensatory time off is the only option.
Actually if they work overtime thier paycheck should be reduced.
“Seems like a mute point, since most private sector workers, will only be working 28 hours a week.”
I understand you’re comment is in reference to ObamaCare (and I fear you are right), but this also seems to be to relieve salary costs on companies (in the hopes that they may hire more people with the money saved). When Portugal faced an influx of people returning from the African disasters of Angola and Mozambique in the 1970s, the government simply shortened the work-week so companies would look to hire more people. To this day in some western European countries overtime is illegal; while this was originally done to protect workers from exploitation, the unintended consequences are still ignored.
Republicans in Congress are pushing legislation that would extend that option to the private sector. They say that would bring more flexibility to the workplace and help workers better balance family and career.
1. This is already common.
2. It’s none of their business. This is one of the reasons I left the R’s. They are simply socialist lite.
As one visiting pastor said in my church 30 years ago, “where would the early church have been if it had put its faith in Rome.
The R’s and D’s are not the answer. The answer lies in those words spoken by Claire Wolfe in the late 20th century:
“America is at that awkward stage: It’s too late to work within the system and too early to shoot the bast**ds.”
I disagreed with that at the time, but now think it was just a few years early.
Amen!
Fine! That’s your choice.
How about we reduce the number by 25% and demand those that are left actually work? Why are we arguing over work rules for unconstitutional government agencies? Most of these government jobs shouldn't even be government jobs.
You’re right. This is common enough in the industry I’m in. I “flex” my time just about every week. Great way to take care of things without having to take time off. My company gets more work out of me too. Why does the government care? One, it is none of their business. Two, do they really have nothing better to look into?
Here’s an idea: make OT pay tax exempt and watch productivity soar.
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