Recent Press Releases

McConnell-Ayotte Flex Time Amendment Aimed at Helping Working Mothers

‘How about we help workers better balance the demands of work and family by allowing them time off as a form of overtime compensation?’

April 8, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called on the Senate to pass the McConnell-Ayotte-Isakson amendment to allow flexible workplace arrangements such as compensatory time and flexible credit hour agreements to be extended to businesses with hourly workers. On the Senate floor, Senator McConnell asked for unanimous consent to offer the amendment, but it was immediately blocked by Senate Democrats. The McConnell flex-time amendment is cosponsored by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA).  Senator McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor:

“For weeks, Republicans have been trying to get Democrats to focus on the one issue that Americans say they care about most — jobs and the economy

“Everybody agrees we’re in the midst of a jobs crisis in this country — What Republicans have been saying is here are some concrete things we could actually do about it.

“But Democrats have completely shut us out. If government isn’t part of the solution, or if it doesn’t drive a wedge between one group of people and another, they’re just not interested.

“Here’s just one idea I’ve proposed and that Democrats have brushed aside: How about we help workers better balance the demands of work and family by allowing them time off as a form of overtime compensation?

“This is an idea that’s tailored to the needs of the modern workforce. It’s something a lot of working women say they want. It’s something government employees have already enjoyed for years.

“What we’re saying is let’s give today’s working women in the private sector that same kind of flexibility.

“Everybody’s familiar with the idea of getting paid ‘time and a half’ for overtime work.

“What this bill would do is give people the choice of getting a proportionate bump in time off for overtime work — so if you work an hour extra, you can get an hour and a half off work.

“So this should be a no-brainer. This is a concrete proposal to help men and women adapt to the needs of the modern workplace and for the workplace to adapt to the modern workforce.

“This isn’t just a way to help workers. It’s a way to especially help working mothers.

“Flexibility is a major part of achieving work/life balance — especially for working moms.

“That’s what this amendment is all about.”

Background: Senator McConnell’s legislation would amend the FLSA to allow private employers to offer comp time to employees at a rate of one-and-one-half hours for every hour of overtime work. A completely voluntary process, an employee can still choose to receive monetary payments as their overtime compensation. This bill simply allows the option for employees to choose paid time off for overtime work instead. It also institutes a flexible credit-hour program, under which the employer and employee can enter into agreements that allow the employee to work excess hours beyond the typical number of hours he or she is typically required to work in order to accrue hours to be taken off at a later time. This option is for employees who do not get the opportunity to work overtime, but still want a way to build up hours to use as paid leave.

Like comp time, this program is voluntary and may not affect collective bargaining agreements that are in place. Under this legislation, employers would not be mandated to offer the flexible workplace arrangements, just as employees are not mandated to choose these benefits rather than direct compensation for overtime work.

A 2010 study conducted by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, for example, found that work flexibility programs can “reduce turnover and improve recruitment, [increase] the productivity of an employer’s workforce, and are associated with improved employee health and decreased absenteeism.”  Another study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Managers found that women’s responsibilities have increased at work and men’s responsibilities have increased at home, resulting in 60 percent of wage and salaried employees feeling they don’t have enough time to spend with their loved ones.

The McConnell flex-time measure is supported by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. David Adkisson, President and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber, said the legislation “would allow private employers to give employees the flexibility they want by permitting them to offer paid time as overtime compensation for non-exempt hourly employees. Our members throughout the Commonwealth would find value in being able to provide this benefit to their employees. The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce strongly supports this legislation and we appreciate Senator McConnell’s leadership on this issue.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor calling on Senate Democrats to work with Republicans on pro-jobs legislation:

“America’s Middle Class is struggling. They need serious job-creation solutions.

“But that’s not really what they’ve been getting from the President. He seems more intent on staging campaign-style rallies to bemoan an economy he’s been presiding over for the last five and a half years — not really to offer solutions, but more to do what he does best: shift blame.

“Meanwhile yesterday, here in the Senate, Republicans were hoping the Democrat Majority Leader would finally work with us to pass a job creation package that contains ideas from many of our members — legislation with provisions several key Democrats support too.

“But that’s not what the Majority Leader chose to do.

“Instead of focusing on jobs, he launched into another confusing attack on the Left’s latest bizarre obsession.

“Just think about that: The percentage of Americans in the workforce is at an almost four-decade low — and Democrats chose to ignore serious job-creation ideas so they could blow a few kisses to their powerful pals on the Left. At a time when so many Americans are desperate for a good job. At a time of fewer opportunities.

“People are hurting. College graduates can’t find a job. Working families can’t afford to pay their bills.

“What they need right now are real job-creation solutions, not some tone deaf blame-deflection rally or some daily bout of shadowboxing on the floor.

“Some say this is all just embarrassing.

“But there is one positive side to Washington Democrats’ never-ending political roadshow: it really throws the divide between the two parties into stark relief.

“On one side, you have a Washington Democrat Party that’s simply run out of ideas.

“When it comes to fixing the economy, they’ve already tried just about everything their ideology will allow — taxing, regulating, spending,  ‘stimulating,’ you name it — and none of it’s worked.

“So at this point, they’ve basically dropped any pretense of doing anything serious on the economy.

“That’s why we heard them essentially admit that their ‘governing agenda’ is actually a political document drafted by campaign staff — that the proposals it contains are basically just show votes designed specifically not to pass.

“So that’s one side of American politics: a party that’s out of ideas, campaign-obsessed, and utterly beholden to the Far-Left.

“On the other side, though, you have a Republican Party that’s committed to getting our economy working for the Middle Class.

“We believe in the power of ideas, and we know that, with the right forward-looking policies, we can — and will — break through the stagnation of the Obama Economy.

“Republicans’ focus is on offering more opportunity to the Middle Class, and those who aspire to it. Our focus is on offering innovative ways to generate the kind of stable, well-paying jobs the Americans people want.

“We also know that we can get more done as a country if both parties can work together to see these policies through and leave behind the sterile campaign theatrics that have been on daily display here under the Democrat Majority.

“So I’m asking our Democrat colleagues to consider dropping all the show votes, the blame-deflecting, and the perpetual campaigning. What I’m asking is for them to consider shifting from policies that don’t work — in other words, what they’ve been trying the past five-and-a-half years — to ones that will.

“Every Senator was sent here to get things done for our constituents. And we can.

“We can pass a positive jobs agenda for the American people.

“All we need is for Washington Democrats to work with us for a change.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor calling on Commissioner Koskinen to reject a proposed IRS rule that would suppress American free speech:

“This morning, IRS Commissioner Koskinen will testify before the Finance Committee.

“I’m sure members will be reminding him of this – and I know several sent a letter yesterday too – but I’d like to underline the point.

“Commissioner Koskinen recently led Congress to believe that his agency will not be imposing anti-free speech rules before this November’s election. It’s a point he basically reiterated again just the other day.

“So Congress plans to hold him to what he’s been leading the American people to believe.

“And honestly, what he really needs to do is stop the IRS from stepping on the First Amendment altogether.

“He needs to stop this proposed regulation, just as the Secretary of the Treasury told us he could do if he wanted.

“In fact, the House of Representatives recently voted to halt it too.

“Remember: Tens of thousands of Americans made their opinions known directly to the IRS about this regulation.

“It was an unprecedented response, and nearly all of the comments I saw were opposed.

“The comments came from straight across the political spectrum too.

“So Commissioner Koskinen needs to live up to what he told the Senate when we confirmed him — when he led us to believe he’d be an independent voice for reform. And as I’ve said before, Commissioner Koskinen has a choice. He can be a hero, like the IRS Commissioner who stood up to Nixon. Or he can be just another pawn of the Administration.

“Both Congress and the American people expect him to make the right decision.”