We at FirstLight Home Care – South Sound enthusiastically applaud the decision made earlier this month by the U.S. Supreme Court that will deliver minimum wage and overtime pay protections to home care workers.
In September 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a new rule that extended the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) minimum and overtime wage protections to home care workers (i.e. home care aides and certified nursing assistants). This “final rule” replaced an exemption enacted in 1974 that allowed many home care employers to deny caregivers minimum wage and overtime pay.
At the request of some in the home care industry, a federal judge overturned the Department of Labor’s new rule earlier this year. However, on August 21, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reversed that prior decision, ruling the USDOL has the authority to change the exemption.
The decision this month by the Supreme Court to deny an appeal request ensures that all home care providers must now compensate their caregivers at least the minimum wage and overtime at 1.5 times their “regular rate of pay” for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The DOL also announced it will begin enforcing the new rules on November 12.
As the local owners of a home care agency, we have always paid our caregivers well above minimum wage, as well as overtime (and holiday) pay. Why? Because we strongly believe better pay for home care workers means a higher level of quality in the care provided to our clients.
Caregiving is emotionally and physically demanding work, performed by trained and certified professionals. We are proud of the caregivers who work for us at FirstLight Home Care – South Sound, and that’s why we choose to compensate our home care workers as the professionals they are.
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