Contact:	Bob Redding (202) 543-1440
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin 97.05 Jan. 21, 1997

Overtime Compensation Bill Introduced In House

Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 1997 - Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-N.C.) has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide compensatory time for employees in the private sector. The measure would change provisions of the law that have required employers to pay overtime wages to hourly workers for any hours beyond a typical 40 hour work week.

H.R. 1, the Working Families Flexibility Act, includes protections to ensure that employees could not be pressured into choosing compensatory time over cash wages. Under the bill, employees could accrue up to 240 hours of compensatory time within a 12-month period. The legislation would require the employer to annually cash-out any unused compensatory time accrued by the employee.

Automotive Service Association (ASA) Washington Representative Bob Redding commented, "If applied fairly, this bill would allow employees and their families greater flexibility in accumulating time off to deal with unforeseen problems or emergencies, while creating an option for employers who feel restricted by the limitations of the current law."

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind serving more than 12,000 businesses and approximately 55,000 professionals from all segments of the automotive service industry. ASA advances the professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services.