Today WorkLife Law submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor on the agency’s proposed rule expanding overtime protections to millions of workers. Our comments elevated the experiences of family caregivers, who are often required to work long hours that take them away from their family obligations without any additional compensation. Our letter was joined by several partner organizations that are equally dedicated to ensuring families can balance the competing demands of work and family care, all while maintaining their health, the health of their families, and their economic security.
While WorkLife Law applauds the positive impact the proposed rule would have on the lives of working families, we also urge the Department of Labor to reevaluate the exclusion of teachers from these needed protections. The exclusion of teachers from overtime harms not only teachers and their students, but it also worsens our country’s ongoing care crisis, which is a major barrier to equal workforce participation for mothers and other workers with caregiving responsibilities.
Our comment, available below, was joined by: Legal Aid at Work, Women Employed, Better Life Lab at New America, A Better Balance, Family Values at Work Action, Equal Rights Advocates, and California Work and Family Coalition.
2023 Family Caregiving Coalition Comment on Overtime Regulations