New Rule Proposed for Home Care Workers

The Department of Labor has proposed a new rule that would extend minimum wage and overtime protections to home care workers. Currently, home care workers are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act because these workers are considered “companions.” Advocates for a change to the law argue that the companionship exemption from overtime improperly puts home care workers, many of whom care for the sick and elderly, into the same category as babysitters. There are approximately two million home care workers in this country. According to the White House, 92% of home care workers are women, 30% are African-American, and 12% are Hispanic.