Republicans reintroduced a bill that has been turned down several times in the past. The proposed new name of the bill is the Working Families Flexibility Act.
The current wage laws require employers to pay employees time and a half for any time that exceeds 40 hours in a week. This law does not cover independent contractors, and there are clauses regarding salaried workers. Missouri residents could consult with an employment law attorney as a resource to understand the current law and proposed legislation.
Lawmakers would like to give certain private-sector employees the right to decide whether they would prefer to receive comp time in place of overtime pay. If passed, employees would be allowed to make the choice that best works for them. Families with children might view comp time more favorably than overtime pay. Comp time is essentially paid time off. For every hour of overtime worked, the employee could take an hour of paid leave. They could accrue up to 160 hours of comp time.
Individuals that believe they have worked and not received overtime pay could benefit from discussing their situation with an employment law attorney. The attorney could assist with understanding the law and determining whether their rights have been violated. An attorney might investigate the company and interview other workers to build a case. They could file paperwork in court to receive back payments. An attorney might also be able to negotiate a settlement for one person or a group of employees.
Source: The Kansas City Star, “Overtime pay or comp time choice proposed,” Dianne Stafford, Apr. 11, 2013
