Obama to extend wage law to cover 2 mln home care aides

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Obama to extend wage law to cover 2 mln home care aides
Source: Reuters - Tue, 17 Sep 2013 07:08 PM

* Announcement made by newly installed Labor Secretary Perez

* AFL-CIO chief praises expansion of labor protections

By Amanda Becker

Sept 17 (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Tuesday it will extend the protection of U.S. minimum wage and overtime law to almost 2 million home health workers who assist the elderly and disabled.

Home health aides, personal care aides and certified nursing assistants will be brought under the coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, effective in January 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor said in a statement.

"Today we are taking an important step toward guaranteeing that these professionals receive the wage protections they deserve while protecting the right of individuals to live at home," said Thomas Perez, who was sworn in on Sept. 4 as President Barack Obama's new labor secretary.

There are an estimated 1.9 million "direct care" workers in the United States. They are typically employed by home healthcare agencies, the department said. Their median pay in 2010 was $9.70 per hour, or about $20,000 per year.


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