Fifteen U.S. Democratic senators have sent a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Hilda Solis urging the extension of federal wage and hour laws to cover the nation’s estimated 1.5 million home health-care workers.
Background
Domestic workers were excluded from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that was enacted in 1938 to ensure a minimum standard of living for workers through the provision of a minimum wage, overtime pay and other protections. Continue reading ‘Senators Urge Extension of FLSA to Home Care’
On May 26, after months of debate among state lawmakers, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a bill that will impose a quality assurance fee on all for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes in order to leverage matching federal money. The state’s direct-care workers are among those who are expected to benefit. Continue reading ‘Iowa DCWs to Benefit from Nursing Home Tax’
Logo from a North Carolina campaign advocating for paid sick day legislation.
As panic spread last month about a potential swine flu epidemic, Americans were advised to stay home if they were feeling ill. But for millions of workers who receive no paid sick days — including large percentages of direct-care workers — taking a day off from work can be a hard decision as it directly affects their income.
In response to this problem, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) have introduced the Healthy Families Act, which would allow workers up to seven paid sick days a year to recover from their own illness, to care for a sick family member, or to seek diagnostic and preventative care. Several states and cities have introduced similar bills. Continue reading ‘Guaranteeing Paid Sick Days for Low Income Workers’
An innovative program in Pennsylvania is giving state officials a firsthand look at the daily lives of direct-care workers and broadcasting the message that these workers suffer from low wages and a lack of health insurance.
In response to an opinion issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, which was itself a response to a request from SEIU, the Obama administration has ruled that the State of California’s plan to cut its contribution to home care worker wages by 20 percent violates the terms of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The California State Legislature had voted to lower the state’s contribution to its In-House Supportive Service (IHSS) program from $11.50 to $9.50 per hour because of a $40 billion budget shortfall. The wage reduction was projected to save California $74 million. Continue reading ‘Wage Cuts Avoided for CA Home Care Workers’
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On May 26, after months of debate among state lawmakers, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a bill that will impose a quality assurance fee on all for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes in order to leverage matching federal money. The state’s direct-care workers are among those who are expected to benefit. 
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