By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
US Representative Martha Roby (R-Montgomery) announced that her Working Families Flexibility Act will be before the House today.
Roby said in an email to constituents: “Its going to be a busy week in Washington. My bill, the Working Families Flexibility Act, is set to come to the floor Tuesday. We need to pass a funding bill, and we might even take up health care legislation again this week in hopes of repealing and replacing Obamacare.”
Congresswoman Roby wrote, “Last week I told you the Working Families Flexibility Act was set to be marked-up by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. I’m pleased to report that it passed, and it will come to the full House for a vote as early as tomorrow. As I said last week, I’m a working mom, so I understand all too well the challenges that working parents face in juggling a career and managing a family. For some people, paid time off is more valuable than money. My bill would give employees in the private sector the option to convert their accrued overtime into paid time off if that’s what they’d prefer. Many parents would like the flexibility to coach a tee ball game or take care of an aging relative, and this bill would give working parents the ability to choose.”
Rep. Roby continued, “Since comp time is already legal and widely used by government employees, why shouldn’t those who work in the private sector have access to the same benefits?”
Rep. Roby concluded, “I’m happy that this bill will hopefully pass the House this week – just in time for Mother’s Day.”
Under Roby’s bill workers would be able to negotiate to work more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week and would be able to take that extra time as time off rather than as overtime. Government workers have had this benefit for years; but private sector employees have been forbidden to enter into these agreements by the nation’s rigid labor laws. Rep. Roby has championed this legislation for years; but now with a Republican controlled Senate and President Donald J. Trump (R) in office it has a more plausible chance of passage into law.
Critics within the labor unions and their Democratic allies claim that this would be a weakening of existing labor laws. Rep. Roby however insists that these agreements would have to be agreed to by employees and could not be imposed by management to get around the onerous time and a half overtime rules.
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. This is her fourth term representing the people of Alabama in Congress.
