[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 26 (Tuesday, March 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REASONS TO SUPPORT THE WORKING FAMILIES FLEXIBILITY ACT

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, employees want more flexibility and 
choice in their work schedules. Unfortunately, there is a provision in 
the Federal law which prevents employers from being able to provide 
their employees with flexibility in one area: giving them the choice of 
paid comp time or cash wages for working overtime.
  The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections recently heard testimony 
from witnesses in support of the Working Families Flexibility Act, 
which would allow employers to offer employees their choice of time or 
money.
  As Peter Faust, an employee with the Opportunity Village in Iowa 
said, ``There are a lot of ways to make money in this country and lots 
of ways to spend it, but there's only one way to spend time with 
yourself, family, or friends, and that's to have time to spend.''
  Linda Smith, an employee with the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in 
Miami, FL, testified that she could save her overtime hours up for 
furthering her education, taking care of a debilitated parent or 
spending time with her young daughter.
  Please support the needs of these employees and others by supporting 
H.R. 1, the Working Families Flexibility Act.

                          ____________________