US House of Representatives Passes SHRM-Supported Comp Time Bill!

This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1406, the Working Families Flexibility Act by a 223-204 vote. SHRM was the principal employer association supporting the legislation because it would allow private sector employers to give non-exempt employees the choice of receiving paid time off (compensatory time) instead of payments for any overtime hours worked. Comp time is an option that has been available to public sector employees since 1985.

SHRM supports balanced public policy in labor-management relations. For that reason, SHRM is pleased that H.R. 1406 includes numerous employee protections for workers who choose to participate in a comp time program. Employees who reconsider and decide that they prefer to receive their overtime compensation in cash can have their hours converted to a payment whenever they wish, and any banked comp time hours not used at the end of the year are automatically paid out to the employee in cash.

Key provisions of the bill include:

• Allows employers the option to offer comp time in lieu of overtime payments
• Gives employees the choice to elect comp time in lieu of overtime payments if the employer offers such a program
• Allows employees to accrue 1 1/2 hours of paid time off for each hour of overtime worked
• Prohibits employers from intimidating or coercing employees into a comp time arrangement
• Allows employees to use the comp time at their discretion, unless the time off unduly disrupts the business operations of the employer
• Allows employees to opt-out of the comp time arrangement at any time and receive cash payments for banked hours
• Requires employers to cash out any unused comp time at year's end

Yesterday, SHRM's Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Aitken participated in a press event on the benefits of H.R. 1406 with congressional leaders. The event was hosted by SHRM member Anika Harris at her organization THE CENTECH GROUP Inc. in Falls Church, Va. You can click HERE to watch the press conference.

The SHRM Advocacy Team (A-Team) was fully activated for this legislation. In total, HR professionals reached 358 U.S. House members by sending 1,021 letters and, during the April 15-19 congressional recess, our members met with 24 House offices. Several SHRM A-Team representatives submitted blog posts on the issue of comp time. Notably, one of our Pennsylvania A-Team members called an undecided House Representative this morning, and hours later, that member of Congress tweeted out his support for the bill!

A total of 73 SHRM State Councils or Chapters joined 19 national employer organizations on the employer coalition letter that SHRM spearheaded.

Recall too that SHRM member Juanita Phillips testified in support of H.R. 1406 on April 11.

H.R. 1406 now moves to the U.S. Senate.

Please feel free to contact Lisa Horn, Senior Government Relations Advisor at Lisa.Horn@shrm.org or 703- 535- 6352 or me if you have questions about this issue.

Thanks to the A-Team for your continued support! We couldn't have achieved this overwhelming support by House members without your letters, phone calls and in-person meetings