President Proposes New Flex-Time Rules

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 24) -- President Bill Clinton wants legislation to allow workers to take off up to two weeks a year in exchange for the overtime they work.

Clinton, in Nashville for a conference on family issues, said the flex-time plan would let working Americans spend more time with their families if they wanted. (224K WAV sound)

"You can choose money in the bank or time on the clock," the president said. "With more Americans working more hours, simply spending more time with the family can be a dream in itself." (224K WAV sound)

Republicans accused Clinton of stealing a page from their legislative playbook and massaging it to placate his labor union supporters. A GOP "family flexibility" bill already is before the Congress.

Some union leaders, however, fear the Republican bill gives employers too much power to determine when a worker could take overtime or compensatory time, instead of giving the employee a genuine choice.

Under Clinton's plan, for each hour of overtime worked, an employee could take 1 1/2 hours of compensatory flex time, up to 80 hours annually. The plan also would permit workers to take up to 24 hours a year of unpaid time for family obligations, such as attending parent-teacher conferences or caring for elderly parents. (224K WAV sound)

President Proposes New Flex-Time Rules

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