CHICAGO –(ENEWSPF)—October 7, 2014. The Department of Labor today announced that it would move forward to implement minimum wage and overtime protections for home care workers on January 1, 2015. Home care workers had previously been exempted from Fair Labor Standards Act protections. Department of Labor enforcement will be delayed for 6 months, giving states, employers and others additional time to address any logistical issues. Rep. Jan Schakowsky issues the following statement on this announcement:
“I congratulate the Department of Labor for announcing today that it will move forward to provide 2 million home care workers with minimum wage protections starting on January 1, 2015 – protections which have been denied them for nearly 40 years. This is further evidence of the Obama Administration’s commitment to improving the lives of working men and women. By taking this action, they have ensured that a long-ignored injustice will end.
Home care workers provide essential services – caring for our loved ones, our friends and many of us. Nine out of 10 are women, 1 in 5 is a single head of household, 1 in 4 earn less than the federal minimum wage, and nearly 1 in 2 rely on public benefits like food stamps and Medicaid. These are hardworking women and men who rely on their wages to care for their families – and they deserve to be paid fairly.
Providing minimum wage protections will also help us recruit and retain home care workers. Seventy percent of people 65 and older will need long-term care services at some point – and we will need an additional 1.8 million workers to meet those needs by 2020. Providing the minimum wage will help ensure that we have the workforce we need.
While I am pleased that the Obama Administration has taken leadership in providing minimum wage protections to home care workers, I am concerned that Department of Labor enforcement has been delayed. I will work with the Administration to ensure full enforcement occurs as soon as possible so that we can ensure that minimum wage and overtime are not just a promise, but a guarantee.”
Source: Schakowsky.house.gov
