SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois social service advocates fear chaos when a new ban on most overtime for home health care workers goes into effect Sunday.
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration says Illinois can’t afford the extra money to comply with a federal government ruling requiring overtime be paid at time-and-a-half.
But the 24,000 personal assistants and the disabled residents they care for argue they’ll have trouble finding backups to work for $13 an hour.
An Associated Press analysis of hours worked shows overtime pay would cost about $14 million annually.
The AP found about one-quarter of assistants work overtime and would average $2,000 extra a year.
The workers’ union — SEIU Healthcare Illinois — says the administration offered overtime flexibility Thursday in exchange for a four-year wage freeze. A Rauner spokeswoman did not immediately comment.
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