In a move that will benefit over 2 million home care workers all over the country, the White House has decided upon a new law that enables home care workers to enjoy the advantages any other American worker has – minimum wage and overtime protection benefits. The home caring field is one of the fastest-growing occupations nationwide.

It’s About Time

The change, which had been long asked for by workers that belong to the home care industry, will take effect in January 1, 2015 – 38 years after the ‘carveout’ decision that had home care workers, those who give care to the elderly and the disabled in their homes, excluded from the basic labor rights any American employee has.

Just Let Us Be

However, the majority of home care workers are not happy with the impending change saying that it would just raise prices for customers with low incomes but are in dire need of the service, and that it would also force employers to cut down the hours of their workers. Prior to the new law’s approval, organizations within the home care industry had staged protests and even had a prolonged lobbying drive against it.

However, the White House has stamped its foot on the said change saying that it would improve the injustices done to a big pool of workers who get low pay but had to log long hours of work. The said change is also part and parcel of President Obama’s promise made about the said issue. The US labor department had already posted the new rule in their website on September 17.

Growing Home Care Industry

President Obama’s interest in the home care industry began with his first bid for the presidential race. In his campaign, the then Illinois senator spent a day with Pauline Becker, a North Carolina resident and who was a home care worker for an 86-year-old ex-cement Mason. Becker, with the help of then Senator Obama, prepared the aged man’s breakfast, made his bed and even did his laundry.

Later on, Obama described the job as “heroic work, hard work.”

John Booker, another home care worker, revealed in an interview with an online news portal, how hard it was to make ends meet in his line of work.

Booker works an average of 60 hours every week getting $10 “straight time” regardless of his workload and without overtime pay.

“It’s why I’m working two and three jobs,” he said. “It’s the economic work style of most direct care workers. You can barely get by with one job even if you’re working a full eight hours. You have to have a supplemental job.”

It was in 1975 when the Congress made a change on the Fair Labor Standards Act. The change which was dubbed companionship exemption had “workers who provide companionship services for individuals who (because of age or infirmity) are unable to care for themselves” to be exempted from the said labor law.

However, White House the need for change as they have seen how the home care business grew over the years with an expected growth rate of 70% between 2010 to 2020.