US Proposes Ending Minimum Wage Exemption for Workers with Disabilities
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New York, Dec 4 (NationPress) The US Department of Labor has unveiled a suggested regulation aimed at phasing out the issuance of certificates that permit employers to compensate some workers with disabilities at a rate lower than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
This regulation intends to gradually abolish the certificates that employers can apply for under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which allows them to pay a selected group of workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The department, which initiated a comprehensive review of the program last year, indicated its plan to cease the issuance of new certificates and to implement a three-year phase-out period for employers currently holding certificates once the final rule is enacted.
According to Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman, “One of the guiding principles of the American workplace is that a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay, and this proposal ensures that principle includes workers with disabilities.”
Taryn Williams, the assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy, remarked that the proposal would assist in guaranteeing that workers with disabilities “have access to equal employment opportunities while reinforcing our fundamental belief that all workers deserve fair competition for their contribution.”
As of May, approximately 800 employers were holding certificates that allowed them to pay workers below the minimum wage, affecting nearly 40,000 workers, according to Kristin Garcia, the deputy administrator of the Labor Department's wage and hour division.
