WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced a bill to help workers handle the constant challenge of work-life balance by allowing all individuals who work overtime to choose between monetary compensation or comp-time. The Working Family Flexibility Act would free workers to choose the best way to alleviate the difficulties of juggling work, home, kids, and community.  The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

“For many families, especially with young children, their most precious commodity is time,” said Sen. Lee. “But today, federal labor laws restrict the way moms, dads, and everyone else can use their time. For decades, Congress has given a special exemption from these laws to government employees. This is unacceptable. The same work-life options available to government employees should be available to private-sector workers, as well.” 

“Working parents provide for their families, make ends meet, and take care of all the responsibilities that come with maintaining a household. That’s why now more than ever, moms and dads need the flexibility to maintain work-life balance at home,” said Sen. Capito. “Our legislation, the Working Families Flexibility Act, would help provide that flexibility by lifting restrictions on private-sector workers and affording them the same options government workers have when it comes to using their overtime benefits.”

How It Works

Gives employers the ability to offer their employees the option of comp time or overtime pay, both accrued at 1½ times the overtime hours worked.

Requires employers who decide to offer this option to their employees to establish a written agreement with the employee outlining the options and to allow each employee to voluntarily choose the option that best fits his needs.

Requires that comp time agreements be included in the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the union and the employer for any employee represented by a union.

Allows employees who choose to accrue comp time to accrue up to 160 hours each year.

Allows employees to “cash out” their accrued comp time at the traditional overtime pay rate at any time throughout the year.

Maintains all existing employee protections, including the current 40-hour workweek and overtime accrual, and provides additional safeguards to ensure that the choice to use comp time is voluntary.

Requires employers to pay employees at the traditional overtime rate for any unused comp time at the end of each calendar year. 

What It Accomplishes

Ends the unfair discrimination against private-sector employees

Enables parents to better balance work and family obligations

Frees all workers to choose which commodity – time or money – is the more important resource at a given time

Lessens the burden of unnecessary federal regulation

You can read the one-pager HERE.

You can read the bill text HERE.