Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 1406, inaccurately named the Working Families Flexibility Act. Instead of helping hard-working Americans earn an honest wage and more flexible work hours, this bill makes it harder on folks already struggling to make ends meet. The reality is that under this bill, workers will lose personal control over their schedule and their pay. In addition, the system this bill imposes is ripe for potential workplace manipulation and abuse.

Under this bill, workers will not get paid more than 40 hours per week, no matter how much overtime they put in. Overtime earnings would become an interest-free loan out of workers' pockets. Workers' overtime pay will be held until the end of each fiscal year or allocated as time-off, all at the discretion of the employer. There is no guarantee in this bill that workers could even get the time off that they might need for a family emergency or doctor's appointment when they need it. Workers could even jeopardize their job security by refusing to go along with this new system.

Mr. Speaker, in Michigan, we believe that hard work merits fair pay. We believe that anyone who works hard and plays by the rules should get a shot at the American Dream. Last year, the average Michigan household income was $43,970. Adjusted for inflation, this is the same as the average household in 1989. This bill makes it harder for people who are already working hard and playing by the rules to make life better for their family by not allowing them to decide what's best for them and their family. If they work more, they should get paid more.

When I talk to folks in my district, I ask about the concerns they are raising around the dinner table. Michigan families worry about how to stretch work schedules and each dollar earned to meet the needs of their family. There is no part of that discussion where Michiganders want Washington to force them to sacrifice their personal decision-making about whether overtime pay or comp time is the right choice for them.

Too many families in my district and across our country are still trying to recover from the worst economic crisis in generations. Why then, instead of working towards commonsense ways we can ease the financial burden on working families, is Washington forcing a personal decision to forfeit their overtime pay? Why is Washington dredging up deeply flawed proposals that have already been rejected time and time again?

Now more than ever, we need ways to support our middle class so families in Michigan and across the nation can thrive. We can develop solutions that make raising a family easier for everyone. We have a lot of work ahead to rebuild our economy and strengthen our middle class, but this bill does neither.

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