Requiring overtime for in-home caregivers will have detrimental effects, says NFIB
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Federation of Independent Business(NFIB), the nation’s leading small-business association, submitted comments today to the U.S. Department of Labor warning of the potentially crushing effects of a proposed rule requiring overtime for home health care workers. The new rule would reduce the availability of in-home care while having no positive impact on workers’ wages.
“This proposal is a solution in search of a problem,” said Susan Eckerly, NFIB’s senior vice president for public policy. “Requiring overtime pay threatens to put the small firms which provide companion care out of business and jeopardizes the level of care their clients currently enjoy. The Department of Labor should keep the companionship exemption for minimum wage and overtime pay.”
Clients who receive in-home care from companion caregivers would face fundamental changes to the care they receive. For example, to deal with the high cost of overtime pay, employers may send caregivers in shifts to a client’s home, rather than allowing them to use one caregiver with whom they are comfortable. It would also substantially increase the cost to clients as employers deal with the cost and paperwork burden of the overtime mandate.
The NFIB’s comments to the Department of Labor area available at the following URL: http://www.nfib.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=910Us1v5amI%3d&tabid=1083
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists send their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses.
AFS/GMS via National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
When will it end?
Lets have them join a union too and get all the benefits government workers get….after all, ” we the people ” are all rich……………..right……………….Lord have mercy !!!
Er… as one who has been a home health aid to the elderly in the past, why shouldn’t these workers receive compensation for overtime? They have families to feed too. It may be difficult for business owners but some things are worth paying extra for. Seeing to it that one’s employees are well compensated and not overworked & underpaid seems wise to me, and only beneficial to the employer in the long run. If one’s employee isn’t happy, there is an uneasy alliance there, imo.
Not to say you are wrong, but when payment is based on time within the home, there will not be an increase in compensation from the payers. If anything in the future home health will face more drastic cuts from payers, so the ability to pay the aids and nurses will be further decreased.
Though I do have another question- why is the 41st hour of work worth so much more than the 40th. Just asking
I don’t see his boding well. That and I have a hard time seeing how it will be enforced, since most aids and nurses are paid for time in the home, not for time traveling from one patient to the other. Most don’t actually get to clock as much time as they work (if you include travel). So in an eight hour day, they may be able to bill 6 or 7 depending how much travel time is between patients
I just wanted you to know that I nominated you fro the 7×7 link award. This is an interesting award, probably my favorite to date, as it gives you the opportunity to pull up old articles deserving of a second look. Please enjoy and keep up the wonderful job you’re doing keeping people informed, Alan. We need more awareness of what is going on in the headlines.
http://orples.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/7-x-7-link-award/
Good grief. Who thinks up all this stuff? Probably people who would not be great doing home health care.