By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Sunday, February 2 U.S. Representative Martha Roby joined colleagues: Rep. Susan Brooks (R) from Indiana, Rep. Gregg Harper (R) from Mississippi, and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R) from Michigan in delivering this week’s Republican Address to the Nation.
Rep. Roby and her colleagues discussed specific areas where they believe that common ground can be found between Republicans and Democrats in Washington despite their significant differences on fundamental issues. Each member highlighted an issue that was raised by President Barack H. Obama (D) in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
Congresswoman Roby said in her portion of the address, “We also want to do all we can to help hardworking Americans balance the demands of family and work. Whether it’s for taking a child to the doctor or taking care of aging parents, many Americans need more flexibility in their jobs.”
Roby continued, “The president talked some about this, saying we need to fix workplace rules from the “Mad Men” era. I’m glad he raised this issue. The Working Families Flexibility Act allows workers in the private sector the option of using their overtime toward paid time off – or comp time – if that’s what they’d rather have.”
Rep. Roby said, “Government employees already have this option, so why not give private sector workers the same choices? Our bill would finally replace restrictions that, believe it or not, have been in place since 1938, long before Don Draper’s time.”
Last May, the Republican controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Roby’s “Working Families Flexibility Act,” which allows the commonly-used government employee benefit of “comp time” to be utilized in the private sector.
The Working Families Flexibility Act, H.R. 1406, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to allow private sector employers to offer their employees the choice of paid time off, or “comp time,” in lieu of cash wages for overtime. In 1985 Congress amended the law to allow “comp time” for government workers, but the benefit is still illegal in the private sector. Under current law, non-farm employers have to pay time and a half for overtime.
Rep. Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. The popular Alabama Congresswoman is seeking a third term in the U.S. Congress.
