[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WORKING FAMILIES FLEXIBILITY ACT

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Madam Speaker, American working men and women need the 
Working Families Flexibility Act. Federal labor laws mandate that 
overtime compensation must be in the form of cash wages, even if the 
employee would prefer to have paid off or comp time.
  The time has come to update these antiquated laws to reflect the 
evolving needs of today's working families. For some employees, in 
today's hectic pace, time off is more valuable than money. For working 
moms, dads, and single parents, time off allows them to better balance 
the often competing demands of work and family.
  Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim that this 
is an attempt to weaken overtime protections in the law for employees. 
This is simply not true. The truth is that the Working Families 
Flexibility Act will give private sector employees the same options and 
flexibility which public sector employees have had for years. Let's 
change the law to accommodate the needs of today's workers who want 
more options and greater control over their working schedules. Support 
the Working Families Flexibility Act.

                          ____________________