Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 1158Civil actions and liabilityLabor standards

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025

INTRO MAR 26· LAST ACTION MAR 26

READING

7MIN

COSPONSORS

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Introduced only

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it proposes a significant change to how overtime is handled for private sector workers, impacting personal finances and work-life balance. If this bill becomes law, employees would gain a choice they don't currently have: prioritizing time off over immediate cash for their overtime hours. This could be beneficial for families needing more flexibility, allowing them to accumulate time off for things like childcare, medical appointments, or family emergencies without losing pay.

However, some might worry it could inadvertently pressure employees into taking time off even when they need the extra money, especially if an employer prefers to give time off rather than cash. The bill tries to address this by prohibiting employer coercion. If the bill doesn't pass, the current system remains, where private sector employees are typically required to receive cash payment for all overtime hours, ensuring a direct financial benefit for working extra, but without the added flexibility of accumulating time off.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Allows private sector employees to choose compensatory time off at a rate of 1.5 hours for each hour of overtime worked, instead of monetary overtime compensation.

This changes the default federal rule for private sector overtime, giving employees a new option for managing their work-life balance.

PROVISION 02

Requires a voluntary agreement between the employer and employee for non-unionized workers, or inclusion in a collective bargaining agreement for unionized workers, before compensatory time can be provided.

This ensures the choice is made knowingly and voluntarily by the employee and not imposed by the employer.

PROVISION 03

Limits the amount of accrued compensatory time an employee can have to 160 hours and establishes rules for cashing out unused time annually, upon employee request, or at termination of employment.

These provisions protect employees by ensuring they either use their earned time or are compensated for it, and prevent unlimited accrual.

PROVISION 04

Prohibits employers from intimidating, threatening, or coercing employees regarding their choice to receive or not receive compensatory time off, or requiring them to use it.

This is crucial for safeguarding the voluntary nature of the compensatory time option and protecting employee rights.

PROVISION 05

Specifies that unused compensatory time will be paid out at the higher of the rate earned or the final regular rate, and defines violations of anti-coercion rules as subject to civil penalties.

This ensures fair compensation for earned but unused time and provides recourse against employer misconduct.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 5

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%

DEM 0 REP 5 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

MAR 26

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 26

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 1158

Congress119th

StatusIn Committee

IntroducedMar 26, 2025

Last actionMar 26, 2025

READER REACTIONS

OVERALL SENTIMENT

No reactions yet. Be the first to weigh in.

Discussion

Loading comments...

Call my reps

IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2025

Senate BillS 1158Civil actions and liabilityLabor standards

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025

INTRODUCED MAR 26, 2025· LAST ACTION MAR 26, 2025

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

7 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Allows private sector employees to choose compensatory time off at a rate of 1.5 hours for each hour of overtime worked, instead of monetary overtime compensation.

This changes the default federal rule for private sector overtime, giving employees a new option for managing their work-life balance.

high

This ensures the choice is made knowingly and voluntarily by the employee and not imposed by the employer.

med

Limits the amount of accrued compensatory time an employee can have to 160 hours and establishes rules for cashing out unused time annually, upon employee request, or at termination of employment.

These provisions protect employees by ensuring they either use their earned time or are compensated for it, and prevent unlimited accrual.

high

Prohibits employers from intimidating, threatening, or coercing employees regarding their choice to receive or not receive compensatory time off, or requiring them to use it.

This is crucial for safeguarding the voluntary nature of the compensatory time option and protecting employee rights.

med

Specifies that unused compensatory time will be paid out at the higher of the rate earned or the final regular rate, and defines violations of anti-coercion rules as subject to civil penalties.

This ensures fair compensation for earned but unused time and provides recourse against employer misconduct.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than January 31 of each calendar year (or 31 days after the end of a designated 12-month period)

Employer must provide monetary compensation for any unused compensatory time accrued during the preceding calendar year.

Within 30 days of receiving the request

Employer must provide monetary compensation for an employee's unused compensatory time upon receiving a written request from the employee.

30 days notice

Employer may discontinue a compensatory time policy upon giving employees notice.

Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act

Secretary of Labor shall revise materials explaining the Fair Labor Standards Act to employees.

Beginning 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and each of the 3 years thereafter

Comptroller General shall submit a report to Congress on the extent to which employers provide compensatory time.

PENALTIES & ENFORCEMENT

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

TYPE	AMOUNT	WHO
civil	The rate of compensation (determined according to the bill's rules) for each hour of compensatory time accrued by the employee, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, reduced by the amount of such rate of compensation for each hour of compensatory time used by the employee.	An employer that violates the anti-intimidation/coercion provisions regarding compensatory time (Section 7(r)(4))

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA): A federal law that sets minimum wage, overtime pay eligibility, recordkeeping, and child labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments.
Overtime Compensation: Extra pay for working more than a standard workweek, typically at a rate of one-and-a-half times an employee's regular rate of pay.
Compensatory Time Off (Comp Time): Paid time off given to an employee instead of cash overtime pay, typically at a rate of 1.5 hours of time off for every hour of overtime worked.
Private Sector: The part of the economy made up of private enterprises and individuals, not controlled by the government.
Collective Bargaining Agreement: A written legal contract between an employer and a labor union representing employees, covering wages, hours, and working conditions.
Liquidated Damages: A specific amount of money agreed upon by the parties to a contract as compensation for a specific breach of the contract, or a fixed amount of damages awarded by law for certain violations.

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

MAR 26, 25

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

MAR 26, 25

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

INTROREFERRAL

READER REACTIONS

0 COMMENTS

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What do you think?

0 votes

Discussion

Loading comments...

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions CommitteeReferred

Mar 26, 2025

senate

Search

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

PENALTIES & ENFORCEMENT

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Related Legislation