Republicans want to take away overtime pay

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

GOP seeks alternative to overtime pay

WASHINGTON (AP) 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.

"For some people, time is more valuable than the cash that would be accrued in overtime," said Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., the bill's chief sponsor. "Why should public-sector employees be given a benefit and the private sector be left out?"

But the idea Republicans promote as "pro-worker" is vigorously opposed by worker advocacy groups, labor unions and most Democrats, who claim it's really a backdoor way for businesses to skimp on overtime pay.

The White House on Monday issued a veto threat, saying the bill undermines the right to overtime pay and doesn't offer enough protection for workers who may not want to receive compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay.

"This is nothing more than an effort to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse," said Judith Lichtman, senior adviser to the National Partnership for Women and Families. She contends the measure would open the door for employers to pressure workers into taking compensatory time off instead of overtime pay.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?app=forums&module=post&section=post&do=new_post&f=145

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

corrected link: http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20130506/US--Overtime.Alternative/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Is it 1.5 hours off for every hour of overtime worked? If not, then this is nothing that should move forward.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Is it 1.5 hours off for every hour of overtime worked? If not, then this is nothing that should move forward.

This came up back in Gingrich days. I remember one contentious amendment, that said if a boss can require overtime at his convenience, the employee should be able to take comp time at his. I believe that amendment passed, and scuttled the whole bill on final vote. Edited May 7, 2013 by The Patriot

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I remember one contentious amendment, that said if a boss can require overtime at his convenience, the employee should be able to take comp time at his.

That's an impossible way to go about it. The boss then really gets to mandate that overtime only once. Next time he does, the employee will want to take comp time. I don't see how that is workable.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

That's an impossible way to go about it. The boss then really gets to mandate that overtime only once. Next time he does, the employee will want to take comp time. I don't see how that is workable.

It was a good way to kill the bill, though.

[Pooky 3,834]

What's overtime?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's overtime?

That from which you may be exempt. I have been OT exempt for most of my working life. Think I had two years there where I was getting paid OT.

[mota bhai 2,675]

I have been exempt ever since I graduated college. I remember one summer, there was a heat wave, and I was working an appliance store selling air conditioners. Oh my God I made a lot of money that summer! Well, a lot by the standards of those days. I remember once thinking Holy ####### I have a thousand dollars in the bank! Today if it ever gets that low I know I'm in deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep #######.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

We had a saying back in my hippie days, 30 years ago, "Three dollars is a lot of money if you don't have any."

[GandD 5,966]

I feel pretty bad for a lot of the guys at our plant. Some have been working 7 days a week for months on end with no end in sight. I think some have reached a point where something like this would help them spend some time at home. I don't know enough about the bill to say if it would help them but something to help people like that without going over board would be nice.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I feel pretty bad for a lot of the guys at our plant. Some have been working 7 days a week for months on end with no end in sight. I think some have reached a point where something like this would help them spend some time at home. I don't know enough about the bill to say if it would help them but something to help people like that without going over board would be nice.

I don't know about your state, but that seventh day is golden time (double pay) plus that extra Sunday premium some places pay.

[mota bhai 2,675]

You know, why does the private sector have to wait for a bill to pass to do this?

Create a private marketplace that works something like this.

GandA works 50 hours this week. He gets paid for 50 hours. But he'd like to take a day (8 hours) off.

So he goes to this awesome marketplace where Big Dog has entered himself as willing to work for 8 hours because he's out of work.

GandA gives Big Dog money to work 8 hours and Big Dog takes a days shift from GandA.

Needless to say, this requires employer buy-in.

[GandD 5,966]

I don't know about your state, but that seventh day is golden time (double pay) plus that extra Sunday premium some places pay.

Oh it is and they eat it up usually. After a few months though, they just want to go home. I recognize that it typically comes with manufacturing so they should know, but three months without a day off. That's too much.

[GandD 5,966]

You know, why does the private sector have to wait for a bill to pass to do this?

Create a private marketplace that works something like this.

GandA works 50 hours this week. He gets paid for 50 hours. But he'd like to take a day (8 hours) off.

So he goes to this awesome marketplace where Big Dog has entered himself as willing to work for 8 hours because he's out of work.

GandA gives Big Dog money to work 8 hours and Big Dog takes a days shift from GandA.

Needless to say, this requires employer buy-in.

This won't work in specialized fields like maintenance. It could for production members, but we have temps for this.

Why was it GandA?