PHI Fact Sheet Explains Extension of Federal Wage Protections to Home Care Workers

PHI has released a new fact sheet to answer key questions about the new Department of Labor (DOL) rule on the companionship exemption that extends federal labor protections to home care workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) beginning January 1, 2015.

FLSA Facts: Understanding the Revised Companionship Exemption includes information on:

• who can — and cannot — claim exemptions from FLSA
• the narrower definition of “companionship services”
• paying workers for travel time between clients
• how the rule applies to live-in caregivers
• how the rule affects consumer-directed programs
• how the rule affects families who pay privately for home care

The new PHI fact sheet, DOL and the National Employment Law Project fact sheets, and other resources on the companionship exemption, including the updated PHI Value the Care policy briefs, are available online at PHI Campaign for Fair Pay.

— by Deane Beebe