Flexibility for Workers Education Act

This bill changes how work hours are counted under federal wage-and-hour law. It says that time you spend going to lectures, classes, or training does not count as “hours worked” if it’s outside your regular shift, you choose to go, and you don’t do any real work for your employer during that time. This applies whether or not your employer offers or helps arrange the activity. The law already lets certain clothes-changing and washing time be excluded under a union agreement; this adds education and training time to the list under specific conditions.

Key points

• Who is affected: Employees and employers covered by federal wage-and-hour rules.
• What changes: Voluntary education or training outside normal hours, with no productive work, won’t count toward paid hours or overtime, even if the employer offers it.
• When: These rules take effect starting on the date the bill becomes law.