FLEX TIME BILL

May 16, 1997

ORTHODOX UNION URGES SENATE PASSAGE OF FLEX TIME BILL

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation's largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization with over 1,000 synagogues across the nation, through its Institute for Public Affairs urges the U.S. Senate to pass The Family Friendly Workplace Act (S.4). The bill, currently being debated by the Senate would amend labor laws to permit employees to work overtime hours and accrue compensatory time, rather than overtime pay, that the employees can use later as desired.

Nathan Diament, director of the Institute for Public Affairs, issued the following statement:

This legislation provides greater flexibility for workers and their families, and that is critical for the American family of the 1990s. Aside from the need to provide workers with the flexibility to tend to family commitments, too often religious employees are faced with the dilemma of competing demands from their work and their faith. Many religious faiths require that individuals refrain from work on holy days so they may concentrate on moral reflection as well as tending to family and community concerns. This legislation would be a significant step toward eliminating the difficult choices many individuals face. It will allow workers, in partnership with their employers, to create more flexible work schedules to suit both their needs. We hope the Senate will pass the Family Friendly Workplace Act.

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