Wages and Benefits
Key Legislation:
Work-Life Balance Award Act of 2010
Minimum Wage Increase
These systems have undergone numerous changes in the past decade as many states have begun strictly limiting workers’ compensation benefits – changes that may be stressing the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Additionally, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) guide to assessing injured workers has undergone significant changes in its latest edition, which has made consequential changes to injured workers’ evaluation procedure.
These systems have undergone numerous changes in the past decade as many states have begun strictly limiting workers’ compensation benefits – changes that may be stressing the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Additionally, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) guide to assessing injured workers has undergone significant changes in its latest edition, which has made consequential changes to injured workers’ evaluation procedure.
WHAT:
Hearing on “Developments in State Workers’ Compensation Systems”
WHO:
Emily Spieler, dean, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Mass.
John Burton, professor emeritus, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University; professor emeritus, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Princeton, N.J.
Christopher Godfrey, Iowa Workers Compensation Commissioner, Des Moines, Iowa
Dr. John Nimlos, occupational medicine consultant, Shoreline, Wash.
Additional Witnesses TBA
WHEN (UPDATED, 11/16):
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
8:45 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »
WHERE:
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Note: This hearing will be webcast live from the Education and Labor Committee website.
“Not since the explosive years of the civil rights movement and the hard-fought debut of government-supported health care for the elderly and poor have so many big things -- love them or hate them -- been done so quickly.
“Gridlock? It may feel that way. But that's not the story of the 111th Congress -- not the story history will remember.”
The AP specifically referenced many of Chairman Miller’s achievements when listing important legislation Congressional Democrats have passed, including “a giant step toward universal [health care] coverage”, “an economic stimulus package… to avoid a full-blown depression”, “making college loans more affordable” and “making it easier for women to challenge pay discrimination.”
Chairman Miller pledged in 2008 to keep the Education and Labor Committee focused on rebuilding and strengthening the middle class during the 111th Congress.
In response to the new Department of Labor rule, Chairman Miller stated:
“I am pleased that the Department of Labor has taken another step to expose hidden fees contained in America’s 401(k) plans. While families are making difficult choices to put something away for their retirement, it is essential that they know how fees may be eating away at their savings and potentially delaying their retirement plans.”
Chairman Miller has fought for 401 (k) fee disclosure for years. Miller authored the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act in 2009, and pushed for fee disclosure provisions to be included in similar Senate legislation.
USA Today underscored the importance of the new rule:
“Until now, even if workers were given abundant retirement plan investment information they did not always receive it in a user-friendly format. The new rule for 401(k)-type retirement plans will provide workers with tools to easily match up one investment option with another.”
After the final minimum wage adjustment in the Fair Minimum Wage Act increased hourly wages from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour in July 2009, the non-partisan Economic Policy Institute wrote that the increase was expected to significantly boost consumer spending across the country.
Today, Chairman Miller is standing up for the minimum wage as some Republican congressional candidates threaten the law. The Huffington Post reported:
“Rep. George Miller (D-Cali.), who led the effort in Congress to raise the minimum wage in 2007, is taking issue with Republican candidates' recent statements that the federal policy should be rolled back and hasn't helped improve the economic position of the country.
“‘Well, it [their statements] sort of shows two things," Miller told The Huffington Post on Tuesday. ‘One, how clearly they're captive of the billionaire boys club, and two, how disconnected they are from working people in this country, who are trying to get [ahead for] for their families.’
“Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller attracted national attention on Monday for saying that the federal minimum wage should be abolished. ‘That is not within the scope of the powers that are given to the federal government,’ he told ABC News. Late last week, Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon was quoted as saying, in vague terms, that she'd be open to the idea of adjusting the federal minimum wage laws. West Virginia Senate candidate John Raese, who has long advocated that it be abolished, also said the federal law ‘hasn't worked’.”
Miller continued:
"When a national debate is over giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, and these people think that it's people working at the minimum wage that's holding people back, it's an outrage."
“I am pleased that the Department of Labor has taken this important step to ensure that employers have information on the fees and conflicts of interest contained in the 401(k) plans they sponsor. With families making the difficult decision to put something away for their retirement, it is vital that these plans work for the benefit of plan participants, not Wall Street’s bottom line. Americans are understandably anxious about their retirement savings, and this rule is intended to provide employers with the critical information needed so that workers can get a good deal. That is why I will continue to support the department’s efforts on fee disclosure through regulation and continue to fight for my legislation that would codify these consumer protections into law for all 401(k)-style plans.”
The bill was considered under the suspension of the rules, which requires at least a two-thirds vote for passage. However, the legislation failed after 147 Republicans voted to block the motion to suspend the rules and pass the legislation.
On Wednesday, June 16, Chairman Miller will urge the Senate to put the 401(k) fee disclosure provision back into H.R. 4213 by delivering pies to each Finance Committee Senator with a slice missing representing the fees Wall Street takes from accountholders.
The 401(k) fee disclosure provisions were part of the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213), important legislation that the House of Representatives approved and sent to the Senate on May 28. Last week, Sen. Max Baucus introduced proposed changes to the legislation that included the elimination of the requirement that 401(k)-type plans disclose all fees that participants pay.
On Thursday, June 17, 2010, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine recent reports from the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education looking at how higher education accrediting agencies review institutions’ policies on credit hours and program length.
H.R. 3721 corrects the unnecessary lawmaking of the Supreme Court. H.R. 3721 overturns Gross and restores the law to what it was prior to the decision, by allowing older workers to prove age discrimination by showing that age was a motivating factor in the decisions made by their employer, but not necessarily the sole factor.
Protections against age discrimination are especially important to workers who may be facing layoffs in an uncertain economic climate. The court’s ruling specifically means that victims of age discrimination face a higher legal burden of proof than those alleging race, sex, national origin or religious discrimination.
In November 2008, after three years of organizing, the California Public Employment Relations Board certified the post-doctorial scholars union at the University of California. Despite this, the University of California system and the post-doctoral scholars, represented by the UAW, have been unable to reach a first contract.
Among other provisions, the Protecting America’s Workers Act (H.R. 2067) and proposed changes to legislation, would update workplace whistleblower protections by mirroring other modern whistleblower statutes, such as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The bill would also ensure that victims and their families are kept informed about investigations of fatalities and incidents involving serious injuries or illnesses.
A bipartisan advisory board representing both private and public employees, labor and family advocates will develop the award’s criteria. The board will be appointed by the Secretary of Labor based on recommendations by Congressional leaders. Any employer, public or private, of any size may apply for the award. More information on H.R. 4855.
Achieving a healthy work-life balance is a real challenge for many American families. On Tuesday, March 23, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor will examine the Work-Life Balance Award Act of 2010 (H.R. 4855). The legislation, authored by subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Lynn Woolsey and committee chairman Rep. George Miller, recognizes on an annual basis exemplary employers that provide their employees the ability to achieve a work-life balance through the creation of a Work-Life Balance Award within the Department of Labor.
A bipartisan advisory board representing both private and public employees, labor and family advocates will develop the award’s criteria. The Board will be appointed by the Secretary of Labor based on recommendations by Congressional leaders. Any employer, public or private, of any size may apply for the award. For more information on H.R. 4855, click here.
WHAT:
Hearing on “H.R. 4855, Work-Life Balance Award Act”
WHO (updated):
Carol Evans, president, Working Mother Media, New York, N.Y.
China Miner Gorman, chief global member engagement officer, Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria, VA
Portia Wu, vice-president, National Partnership for Women, Washington, D.C.
Additional Witnesses TBA
WHEN (updated):
Thursday, April 22, 2010
10:00 a.m. EST
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »
WHERE:
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
Note: This hearing will be webcast live from the Education and Labor Committee website.
A bipartisan advisory board representing both private and public employees, labor and family advocates will develop the award’s criteria. The Board will be appointed by the Secretary of Labor based on recommendations by Congressional leaders. Any employer, public or private, of any size may apply for the award.
The Work-Life Balance Award Act (H.R. 4855), introduced in March 2010, establishes an annual Work-Life Balance Award at the Department of Labor to be given out annually by the Secretary of Labor to employers with exemplary work-life workforce policies. These policies are defined as workplace practices “designed to enable employees to achieve a satisfactory work-life balance.” Any public or private employer of any size is eligible for the award, as long as they are in compliance with federal and state labor and employment laws.
Criteria for the award will be developed by a bipartisan advisory board consisting of representatives from the public, state and local government, industry and industry organizations, not-for-profit employers, labor, and advocates for children and families.
One year ago today, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became the first major act of Congress signed into law by President Barack Obama. Recently Lilly Ledbetter and Congressman George Miller sat down to to discuss Ledbetter’s courageous story and what the Act means for working Americans across the country.
The Act clarified that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from an earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act and applies to workers who file claims of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, or disability. It reversed a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that made it more difficult for Americans to pursue such claims. For more information, please visit our informational webpage on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
To commemorate today's anniversary, the Democratic Caucus has a blog post with stats about how many American's lives are better because of this law. Lilly Ledbetter wrote a blog post about her thoughts on this occasion and what a difference a year has made.
Chairman Miller: It yields to the concerns that we have echoed in our Caucus every week as Members come back from their local communities. Yes, we have a few positive indicators — hopefully they will continue — on unemployment, but we hear in the private analyst community and among many people concerned about unemployment in this country — economists and others — that that could be overwhelmed if we do not do something to support local government. That we could have a wave of unemployment created by the cuts that they may face because of the fact that they are close to $300 billion underwater in their budgets.
And this bill makes an effort — I think a good effort — in making sure that we can assure the health and safety of our communities and the education of our children. We’re watching as every year now as we get the reports from across the country — from thousands and thousands of schools districts and hundreds of thousands of schools — the gains that young people in America are making in terms of the proficiency in reading and mathematics and elsewhere. We cannot afford to lose that because of unemployment in the school districts. We cannot afford to lose that because of the downturn in the economy. Most business leaders will tell you that it’s in this kind of atmosphere where you want to make your investment for the future. We need to continue the investments that we have been making in the education of America’s young children by making sure that we do not lose hundreds of thousands of teachers across the American landscape and then children are put in an environment where they cannot continue to make those kinds of gains.
So this legislation on public service jobs addresses the need — as you heard from our leaders — of the health and safety of our community, the education of young people, and also to provide opportunities in this coming summer for young people who have graduated in many cases from school, are looking for jobs and haven’t been able to find them, but to give them that opportunity to receive training and job opportunities. I think the mix of this legislation, with the emphasis on infrastructure, jobs, and public service jobs is what we need in our states, in our localities, in our economy, at this time. And looking forward to a good vote in our Caucus on behalf of Jobs for Main Street bill.
Washington, DC—Today the House of Representatives passed legislation originally authored by Congressman Tim Bishop (NY-1) to ensure that flight crews are treated fairly and are able to qualify for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.
At least 50 million American workers currently do not have access to paid sick leave, many in lower-wage industries that have direct contact with the public such as food-service, hospitality industry, schools and health care fields. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that a sick worker will infect one in ten co-workers. As a result, the CDC and other public health officials have advised employers to be flexible when dealing with sick employees and to develop leave policies that will not punish workers for being ill.
On November 3, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, introduced the Emergency Influenza Containment Act (H.R. 3991). The temporary legislation will guarantee up to five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by an employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus.
For more information on the bill, click here.
November 17: Hearing on how employer paid sick leave policies can help slow the spread of contagious diseases, like the H1N1 flu virus.
November 19: Hearing to review current federal literacy initiatives and explore ways to improve the reading comprehension skills of all children from birth through high school.
Note: The previously-scheduled Committee vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been postponed.
Today the Los Angeles Times wrote an excellent article on why this legislation is necessary. As they said, "For many ill with the flu, staying home isn't an option." And they explained it this way:
For now, some feel torn between public health and protecting their jobs. Nationwide, 84% of workers said they felt pressured to come to work sick because of the recession, according to a September poll by Vancouver-based Angus Reid Strategies. The poll also showed that 69% of workers had not been offered vaccines or other precautions from employers.Chairman Miller cited an estimate, based on a 2004 study at Emory University, that the economy loses $180 billion in productivity a year when sick employees show up to work. The H1N1 Flu Emergency Sick-Leave Bill covers both full-time and part-time workers (on a pro-rated basis) in businesses with 15 or more workers. Employers that already provide at least 5 days’ paid sick leave are exempt. Additionally, an employer can end paid sick leave at any time by informing the employee that the employer believes they’re well enough to return to work. Providing security for employees who follow their employer’s direction to stay home because of contagious illness, they could not be fired, disciplined or made subject to retaliation for following directions. This bill would take effect 15 days after being signed into law and sunsets after two years.
One in six workers say they or a family member have been fired, suspended, punished or threatened for staying home sick or caring for a sick relative, according to a survey last year by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Welfare Foundation. Many large employers, such as Disney and Wal-Mart, dock workers disciplinary points for staying home even when they are ill.
"We are seeing more and more stories of workers who are infected with the virus but can't afford to stay home because they don't have paid sick leave," Miller said. "This puts both their co-workers and their customers at risk -- and could cost their employers money in lost productivity."
According to the article, providing sick leave is not only good for the employee, but also beneficial to the bottom line.
Some employers say paid sick leave saves them money in the long run.
"If they're sick and they're getting other employees sick, that's just going to impact our employees more," said April Boduc, a spokeswoman for San Diego-based Sempra Energy, which gives employees 10 paid sick days a year and allows them to bank unused days and donate vacation days to sick co-workers.
The Wall Street Journal reports, "House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller said his bill would ensure that workers wouldn't miss out on wages if they contract the illness. The employer would be required to pay for the sick leave, and there would be no cost to the taxpayer, Mr. Miller said.
The bill wouldn't oblige employers to pay for workers' time off. It would tell them that, if they intend to send employees who are ill home, they must then pay for them to have up to five days' leave.
Mr. Miller said his panel would hold a hearing on the legislation the week of Nov. 16. If the bill is successfully enacted by Congress, it would take effect 15 days after being signed into law, and expire in two years."
Explaining why this bill is needed, Contra Costa Times quotes Chairman Miller, "Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood, and their co-workers’ or customer’s health. This will not only protect employees, but it will save employers money by ensuring that sick employees don’t spread infection to co-workers and customers, and will relieve the financial burden on our health system swamped by those suffering from H1N1.”
And the next steps according to Reuters are, "Miller said the committee would hold a hearing the week of November 16 and he would press to have a full vote as soon as possible.
Miller said at least 50 million American workers are not paid for time taken off sick, 'many in lower-wage jobs that have direct contact with the public such as the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care fields.'"
For more background on who does and doesn't get sick leave, see this post on the New York Times' Economix blog.
The unemployment rate for 16 to 19-year-olds hit 25.9% in September, the highest rate recorded since at least 1948 (the earliest data the Labor Department supplies).
Lately, their plight hasn’t been falling on deaf ears. The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing earlier this week to address low unemployment among young people.
“Indeed, because of the horrible economy, younger workers are now competing with more experienced workers for positions traditionally [in] the domain of the young and less experienced,” Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat and the committee chairman, said according to prepared remarks. “Until the economy as a whole turns around, younger workers will continue to be hit the hardest.”
While there are big concerns about unemployment and underemployment for young Americans, there is a silver lining.
At least things don’t appear to be getting worse for the 20-somethings lately. The unemployment rate for 20 to 24-year-olds dropped to a still-high 14.9% in September. It’s the second month the group’s unemployment rate decreased.We encourage you to read the entire blog post, as well as view the testimony from the hearing, visit the hearing page and view the pictures.
While the recession has disproportionately impacted young adults, the employment rate among 16 to 24 year-olds has steadily declined by nearly 20 percent over the past decade to its lowest level since World War II. The consequences of reduced work opportunities among young Americans results in fewer long-term employment prospects, less earnings and a decrease in productivity.
While the recession has disproportionately impacted young adults, the employment rate among 16 to 24 year-olds has steadily declined by nearly 20 percent over the past decade to its lowest level since World War II. The consequences of reduced work opportunities among young Americans results in fewer long-term employment prospects, less earnings and a decrease in productivity.
The hearing page has a complete list of all witnesses, testimony, statements, videos, photos and an archived webcast.
Some small employers say that it’s difficult to get a handle on exactly what they pay in fees, and that it often requires digging through documents or calling the various parties involved.We encourage you to read the entire article and learn more about the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009.
Gordon Maccani, chief executive of Digital Telecommunications Corp., in Van Nuys, Calif., says he thought he was paying only $3,600 a year to a third-party recordkeeper to manage his company’s 15-year-old 401(k) plan, which has about $920,000 in assets and 38 participants.
But Mr. Maccani says he recently started reviewing his annual plan statements from Transamerica Retirement Services and noticed there’s an array of other fees paid out of assets, including a 1.2% “contract asset fee,” $8,500 in “charges and fees” and about $1,400 in partner distribution fees. He originally didn’t get a clear answer, he says, when he called the company to inquire. But Transamerica called Mr. Maccani and gave him a comprehensive fee breakdown after being contacted by The Wall Street Journal. The company is a unit of Transamerica Life Insurance Co., owned by Aegon NV, a multinational Dutch insurance firm.
Transamerica’s recently provided breakdown shows Digital Telecommunications’ 401(k) plan actually paid about $16,300 in fees last year.
Almost four and a half million workers in 31 states will see a bigger paycheck when the federal minimum wage increases from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour. This is the final of three increases to be implemented under a law enacted by the Democratic Congress in 2007.
This law provided the first minimum wage increase in a decade for our lowest-paid workers and their families. The buying power of the minimum wage had fallen to a 51-year low, and families were struggling with rising housing costs, unpredictable energy bills, and skyrocketing health care premiums.
We have seen where the low road of low wages and rising inequality leads – to an unbalanced, unhealthy, and unsustainable economy.
Today’s pay raise comes as even more Americans are struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families.
- Three-quarters of those who will benefit from this wage increase are 20 years old or older.
- More than half are families with yearly incomes of less than $35,000.
- Over sixty percent of them are women, and over 400,000 of them are single parents with kids under 18. And over two million children will benefit from this boost in their parents’ wages.
Unlike tax cuts for the wealthy, a higher minimum wage increases consumer spending on local businesses, which is good for everyone. In fact, a recent study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago found that every dollar increase in the minimum wage leads to an $800 increase in spending per quarter by families with minimum wage workers.
The Economic Policy Institute estimated that this increased purchasing power will boost consumer spending by more than $5.5 billion over the next 12 months. This increase will provide millions of families with about $120 in extra monthly income to help pay their grocery bills or fill up their cars.
Especially in this economy, Congress will continue to look at solutions that will help all Americans build a better life for themselves and their families.
U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said today that the increase will help many Americans struggling to cope with the economic downturn. Miller was the lead sponsor of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) was the chief sponsor of the measure in the U.S. Senate.
“Passage will represent a monumental step forward in our effort to build a vibrant and green economy based on clean energy, less foreign oil, and a reduction in greenhouse gases,” said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee and one of the co-authors of the energy bill. “Californians have led the nation in breaking our dependence on fossil fuels and have always known that the future belongs to clean energy technology jobs. It is long past time for us to stop sending our national treasure to pay for foreign oil. This bill gives us the opportunity to follow California’s lead and move America in a new energy direction.
The FIRST Act, H.R. 2339, provides grants to the states to implement and improve their paid family leave programs. Healthy Families Act, H.R. 2460, mandates that businesses with 15 or more employees provide up to 7 days of paid sick days to their employees.
The FIRST Act, H.R. 2339, provides grants to the states to implement and improve their paid family leave programs. Healthy Families Act, H.R. 2460, mandates that businesses with 15 or more employees provide up to 7 days of paid sick days to their employees.
If the story of the janitors and groundskeepers at the Carnegie Science Center weren't true, it would seem as if the advocates of the Employee Free Choice Act were making it up.
Those 10 people work for the same employer as the 50 people who clean the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and the Carnegie Libraries. Yet, because of a quirk of history dating to a time when the individual museums were run as if they were separate organizations, the janitorial staffs at the museums and libraries are unionized. The cleaners at the Science Center are not….
The pay is $7.85 an hour. He is without medical insurance and is not granted days off with pay for sick time or vacation….
The janitors at the Oakland museums and the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh make $10 to $14 an hour and are awarded full benefits, including health insurance, vacation time and sick days, according to Gabe Morgan from the union that represents them.
The Employee Free Choice Act would help those 10 workers get the same wages and benefits as the other 50 janitors within the same organization.
Learn more about the Employee Free Choice Act and how it will benefit workers.
Here is another story worth reading. It highlights how workers in Indiana would be helped by the Employee Free Choice Act.
The recession is affecting artists, dancers and musicians everywhere, including the Bay Area, but hope is on the way. A House committee in Washington is examining how communities everywhere are being affected. $50 million has been set aside to give a boost to the arts and entertainment industry. The arts are big business generating 5.7 million jobs and $166 billion in economic activity each year. The House Education and Labor Committee, chaired by Congressman George Miller (D) of Concord, was told artists are unemployed and need their share of the stimulus package.
Watch the full report here.
“Those most vulnerable to wage theft are likely bearing the brunt of our nation’s economic crisis,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, who requested the investigation. “We owe it to all hard working Americans to ensure that we correct the incompetence of the Bush administration and ensure families are not being cheated out of their wages by unscrupulous employers. This was a massive failure. Former Secretary Chao was absent without leave.”
The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing to examine the findings of the Government Accountability Office’s undercover investigation into the Labor Department’s ability to enforce and investigate violations of our nation’s minimum wage, overtime and child labor laws.
The committee held a hearing last July that identified failures by the Bush administration to properly protect workers from the problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak enforcement strategies and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division. This agency is responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations. For more information on July’s hearing, click here.
The Committee held a hearing last July that identified failures by the Bush administration to properly protect workers from the problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak enforcement strategies and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division. This agency is responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations. For more information on July’s hearing, click here.
Michelle Andrews wrote:
Anxious readers who had lost their jobs wanted to know how they could apply for the subsidy, which will cover 65 percent of laid-off workers' COBRA health insurance premiums if they choose to continue their health insurance under their former employer's plan. The reason for their concern is no mystery: The federal law known as COBRA that permits them to extend their health insurance also requires them to pay 100 percent of the premium, plus an administrative fee of 2 percent. For people trying to get by on an unemployment insurance check of around $325 a week, shelling out $1,000 or more a month for health insurance is often not feasible. Even a helping hand of 65 percent doesn't make COBRA cheap, but for some the subsidy will at least make coverage affordable.If you have questions about the COBRA subsidy make sure to visit our FAQ, the article and the Department of Labor's COBRA website.
The economic stimulus package signed into law last month seeks to address the high costs by subsidizing COBRA premiums for unemployed workers. Under the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, laid-off workers can continue their former employer's health coverage for up to 18 months, but only if they pay the entire premium, plus a 2% administrative fee. Average COBRA premiums exceed $400 a month for individuals, and more than $1,000 a month for families.Read the rest of the article for additional important information about eligibility and COBRA expiry.
The stimulus package will subsidize 65% of COBRA premiums for employees who were laid off between Sept. 1 and the end of this year. If you delayed signing up for COBRA coverage when you lost your job, you have 60 days to re-enroll after you receive a notice from your employer.
“After eight years of disastrous policies that have steamrolled workers and our economy, this President has done enough harm,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “At a time when too many Americans are seeing their jobs and wages slip away, it’s despicable that this is how the Bush administration is spending its final days. I hope the new administration will work with us to quickly overturn this and other last-minute rules that open the door to more abuse in the guest worker programs and threaten the livelihoods of all workers in this country.”
“The Growing Income Gap in the American Middle Class”
Thursday, July 31, 2008, 10:00 a.m. EDT
The increase in the minimum wage comes at an important time for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. Real incomes have dropped since 2001, while the costs of gasoline, health insurance, and attending college have skyrocketed. With today’s increase, Americans who most urgently need a pay raise will get a badly needed boost.
The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, July 15 to examine the U.S. Department of Labor's record of enforcing the nation's wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office highlighted the results of two separate investigations requested by the chairman of the committee, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), into the Labor Department’s failures to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law.
Seventy years ago last month, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act into law. The law has provided generations of Americans with basic rights to minimum wages, overtime pay, and a ban on oppressive child labor. However, critics say that the Bush administration has failed to protect workers from a growing problem of "wage theft" by adopting weak approaches to enforcement and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division, the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations.
The Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, July 15 to examine the U.S. Department of Labor’s record of enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office will highlight the results of two separate investigations requested by Chairman George Miller into the Labor Department’s failures to fully investigate and properly address violations of the law. Seventy years ago last month, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the landmark Fair Labor Standards Act into law. The law has provided generations of Americans with basic rights to minimum wages, overtime pay, and a ban on oppressive child labor. However, critics say that the Bush administration has failed to protect workers from a growing problem of “wage theft” by adopting weak approaches to enforcement and reducing funding and staffing levels of the Wage and Hour Division, the agency responsible for investigating complaints of wage, hour, and child labor violations.