Home Health Care Workers To Receive Overtime Pay
Earlier this month President Obama announced that home-care workers will now be eligible to receive overtime pay and minimum wage. These protections guaranteed by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act have previously not been available to workers who provide valuable care-giving services in the home. The minimum wage and overtime protections will now extend to nearly 2 million in home employees.
As stated by President Obama, “The nearly 2 million in-home workers across the country should not have to wait a moment longer for a fair wage. They work hard and play by the rules and they should see that work and responsibility rewarded.”
This announcement comes as part of Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” campaign that seeks to implement several measures aimed at boosting economic growth without needing congressional approval. The debate concerning overtime pay for in-home workers has lasted several decades, beginning in 1974 when the workers were first declared exempt.
Whether a worker is considered exempt vs. non-exempt is a critical overtime pay consideration and can mean the difference in hundreds – even thousands – of dollars in compensation over the course of a year. Those individuals considered “exempt” under the FLSA are not entitled to overtime pay no matter how many hours worked in a week or month. On the other hand, non-exempt workers are entitled to receive overtime pay at a rate of one and one-half their regular rate of pay for every hour more than 40 worked in any workweek. If you have questions concerning whether you are exempt or not exempt, an experienced Atlanta wage and hour attorney can help answer your overtime compensation questions.
With the implementation of this new initiative, millions of employees who have been denied fair compensation will now begin to receive the pay they are due.
For more information about the home-care workers overtime pay initiative or if you believe you have been denied the wages and overtime you are entitled to, contact the dedicated Atlanta overtime pay attorneys at Buckley & Klein for a confidential consultation.
