CPSA Celebrates House Approval of Resolution Granting Overtime Pay, Parental Leave to House Staffers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2022
Media Contact:
Zoe Bluffstone, CPSA Press Steward
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) celebrated the passage of a House resolution that applies provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act and Fair Labor Standards Act to all employees of the House of Representatives, including overtime pay and paid parental leave benefits to House staffers.
This historic win for worker’s rights in the House of Representatives occurred in the last few days of the lame duck congressional session, and just one week after CPSA, Demand Progress, and the Congressional Worker’s Union joined together on a letter pushing congressional leadership to update the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions to include congressional staff before the end of the 117th Congress. The resolution that passed was included within a procedural rule that governed the debate for the continuing resolution measure to fund the government.
“CPSA applauds Chair Lofgren’s decision to include the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights’ recommended overtime and parental leave provisions for staff in the continuing resolution passed in the House today,” said the CPSA Steering Committee. “Dedicated congressional staff who work late into the night, on holidays, and over weekends to serve their boss and constituents deserve these long-promised protections. We are thrilled with these wins for workers in the House, and now we call on the Senate to do the right thing and pass this provision for staff in their chamber as well.”
Specifically, the resolution implements OCWR regulations that give congressional staff the same overtime protections granted to other employees in both the federal and private sectors. It also puts in place some updates to FMLA regulations for House workers, providing them with the same parental leave as executive branch workers, allowing staffers to use FMLA leave to care for family members who are active service members or veterans in some circumstances, and revising the definition of a spouse to be more inclusive to same-sex couples.
Back in September, the OCWR described the current regulations as “woefully outdated” when it issued new guidelines that would bring congressional overtime pay to parity with the executive branch and private sector. Now, the House will finally move forward and implement these newly approved regulations, and the Senate could do the same through passage of its own resolution.
The overtime regulations have not been updated since 1996 and are a highly relevant provision for congressional staff, who are frequently called upon to work outside of the traditional 9-5. CPSA’s Congressional Working Conditions Survey released earlier this year found that 59% of staff work more than 50 hours a week, including 54% of non-management staff.
CPSA was formed in June 2021 to amplify the voices and experiences of progressive staffers, to advocate for progressive issues impacting our membership, and to fight for fair working conditions for congressional employees. The association currently has over 1,300 members and is growing every day.