Hundreds of HR Professionals Head to Capitol Hill to Share Views on FLSA

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Nov 20, 2014) - More than 400 human resource professionals from across the country are gathering on Capitol Hill today to share their perspective on two legislative issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The members of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) will visit 308 congressional offices to meet with their representatives for SHRM's annual Hill Day, a part of the SHRM Volunteer Leaders' Summit being held Nov. 20-22 in Washington, D.C. (#SHRMLead).

"SHRM established Hill Day as a way to provide members with access to their congressional representatives and a voice in the political process," said J. Robert "Bob" Carr, senior vice president of membership, marketing and external affairs at SHRM. "Most workplaces are impacted by the FLSA, so it's important for HR -- those with hands-on experience administering the law -- to share their experiences with members of Congress."

SHRM members will discuss the following issues related to the FLSA with lawmakers:

• Debarment of employers with FLSA violations. The Ellison amendment, which has been attached to appropriations bills in the U.S. House, would automatically prohibit organizations with FLSA violations in the past five years from contracting with the federal government. Additionally, this amendment would circumvent long-standing and proven debarment procedures under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. SHRM members will tell their representatives that, although employers may work diligently to comply with the law, they can still run into challenges with the FLSA.
  
  
• Changes to overtime regulations. Under FLSA overtime regulations, an employee may qualify as exempt from overtime requirements if they perform specific job responsibilities and are paid on a salary basis of $455 or more per week. A proposal to update FLSA overtime regulations is expected to be announced by the Department of Labor in early 2015. Potential changes could include a significant increase to the salary basis amount as well as modifications to the primary duties test. These changes could further exasperate an already complex set of regulations. SHRM members plan to express their concerns about these potential changes, which will complicate employee classifications and limit workplace flexibility.
  
  

Media: For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Laura Ambrosio of SHRM Public Affairs at 703-535-6273 and Laura.Ambrosio@shrm.org or Vanessa Gray at 703-535-6072 and Vanessa.Gray@shrm.org.

About the Society for Human Resource Management
Founded in 1948, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest HR membership organization devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 275,000 members in over 160 countries, the Society is the leading provider of resources to serve the needs of HR professionals and advance the professional practice of human resource management. SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates. Visit SHRM online at shrm.org and follow us on Twitter @SHRMPress.