As a student, Lisa Forhan ’10, spent much of her time at CPPA exploring labor policy. Her capstone, “The Companionship Exemption in the Fair Labor Standards Act” examined the often-overlooked complications associated with a 1974 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act which created “a special exemption from minimum and overtime wages for workers described as casual babysitters and persons ’employed in domestic service employment to provide companionship services for individuals who (because of age or infirmity) are unable to care for themselves (as such terms are defined and delimited by regulations of the Secretary [of Labor])’ as well as workers who reside in the home of their employer.”
In December, Lisa, who now works as Program Director for Kindred Healthcare, published her capstone as a policy brief through the Direct Care Alliance entitled “Minimum Wage & Overtime Protection For All?” The policy brief was meant to inform the current call to the U.S. Department of Labor to reexamine the 1974 companionship exemption in light of 2011 worker realities and to encourage Congress to pass H.R. 5902/S. 3696, the Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act.
The complete policy brief is available here.
Lisa’s publication is one of many examples of how CPPA students and alumni “connect ideas with action.” The 2011 capstone conference will take place May 4 and 5, 2011 and will, as always, highlight the vast range of research undertaken at the Center.