Caregiver Versus Personal Attendant - Wages and Benefits

Law And Order - Caregiver Versus Personal Attendant - Wages and Benefits

Good morning. Today, I found out about Law And Order - Caregiver Versus Personal Attendant - Wages and Benefits. Which may be very helpful if you ask me therefore you. Caregiver Versus Personal Attendant - Wages and Benefits

Are you a caregiver or a personal attendant who works in a underground household or home? As a household worker either as a caregiver or personal attendant, are you entitled to minimum wage? Over-time pay? Other benefits?

What I said. It isn't the conclusion that the real about Law And Order . You check out this article for info on a person want to know is Law And Order .

Law And Order

If hired directly by an individual or family, your benefits are distinct from one who is hired by a underground firm or agency and governed by normal employment laws: applicable federal and state statutes.

A live-in worker as opposed to a live-out worker is branch to special work rules discussed below.

A caregiver or "care custodian" is defined by Section 15610.17 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code as:

"... An administrator or an worker of...public or underground facilities or agencies, or persons providing care or services for elders or dependent adults, together with members of the retain staff and maintenance staff."

A "personal attendant" is not entitled to overtime compensation, unless: (1.) he or she is a live-in employee; or (2.) he or she does normal household work (cleaning, cooking, feeding, dressing, or supervising) that exceeds 20% of the total work time; or (3.) he or she does nurse-like duties (checking pulse, taking temperature, giving medication) more than 20% of the total work time.

In these three instances, the household worker is no longer determined a "personal attendant" and is entitled to overtime pay. Otherwise, light house keeping and cooking chores qualify as work exempt from overtime compensation.

Personal Attendant As Defined In Ca Iwc Wage Order 15:

Section 2(J) of the California industrial Welfare Commission (Iwc) Wage Order No. 15-2001 defines "personal attendant" as follows:

"'Personal attendant' includes baby sitters and means any person employed by a underground householder or by any third party owner recognized in the condition care business to work in a underground household, to supervise, feed or dress a child or person who by surmise of developed age, physical disability, or mental scantness needs supervision. The status of 'personal attendant' shall apply when no essential amount of work other than the foregoing is required."

Indeed, the California agency of Labor Standards enforcement (Dlse) has historically adopted the acceptable used in the federal regulations, 29 C.F.R. 552.6 on "companionship services," to wit:

"...(T)he term 'companionship services' shall mean those services which furnish fellowship, care, and safety for a person who, because of developed age or physical or mental infirmity, cannot care for his or her own needs. Such services may contain household work related to the care of the aged or infirm person such as meal preparation, bed making, washing of clothes, and other similar services. They may also contain the operation of normal household work: Provided, however, that such work is incidental, i.e., does not exceed 20 percent of the total weekly hours worked."

Federal regulations, 29 C.F.R 552.6, supra, further clarifies that:

"The term 'companionship services' does not contain services related to the care and safety of the aged or infirm that want and are performed by trained personnel, such as registered or practical nurse."

Thus, the acceptable duties of a "personal attendant" involve activities of daily living such as getting in or out of bed, showering, bathing, using a toilet. A "personal attendant's" duties of "supervising" would contain assistance in obtaining curative care, making ready meals, shopping for personal items or groceries, using a telephone, even managing money.

As long as any normal housekeeping duties performed do not exceed 20% of the weekly working time spent by a "personal attendant," he or she is exempted from the protections of California Wage Order No. 15-2001 such as overtime compensation, etc., except for minimum wage. But prior to 2001, a classification as "personal attendant" also excluded minimum wage in California.

This overtime compensation exemption also applies to "personal attendants" as well as other household workers such as caregivers, spending 20% or less of their working time doing normal household work, who are employed by an agency and sent to underground households to work.

Benefits Of Household Workers:

A. Minimum Wage:

The state minimum wage covers all employees, together with household workers (live-in employees, caregivers, and "personal attendants") but excluding legitimate independent contractors. The current California minimum wage is .00 per hour since January 1, 2008, a 6.7% growth over the former .50 minimum wage.

There are several factors that determine either a person is an independent undertaker of a package deal or not. But the primary factor is operate by the owner of the means, manner and outcome of the job. An independent undertaker of a package deal runs his or her own household services business, has his or her tools and materials, and controls the manner and outcome of the job.

Independent contractors are not covered by minimum wage and overtime compensation statutes.

B. Overtime Pay:

Household workers who are not live-in employees, as well as "personal attendants" who do normal household work that exceeds 20% of their weekly working time, are entitled to overtime compensation, consisting of one and one half times their regular rate of pay for working more than eight (8) hours in a day, or more than (40) hours in a week.

Live-in employees must be paid one and one half times the regular rate for all hours worked over twelve (12) hours (instead of over eight (8) hours) in one work day for five (5) workdays. On the sixth and seventh day, live-in employees must be paid duplicate the regular rate for all hours worked over (9) hours per day. See California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 3(A)-(B) (8 Cal Code Regs. 11150(3)(A)-(B)).

Under federal law, 29 U.S.C. 213(a)(15), "any worker employed on a casual basis in domestic service employment to furnish babysitting services or any worker employed in domestic service employment to furnish companionship services for individuals who (because of age or infirmity) are unable to care for themselves" is granted exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay.

C. Other Benefits Of Household Workers:

1. Hours And Days Of Work:

A live-in worker is entitled to at least twelve (12) consecutive hours free of duty while each workday of twenty-four (24) hours, and the total span of hours for a day of work should not exceed twelve (12) hours, except that: (a) the worker must have at least three (3) hours free of duty while the 12 hours span of work; and (b) the worker required or permitted to work while scheduled off-duty hours or while the 12 consecutive off-duty hours must be paid one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for all such hours worked. See California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 3(A).

Moreover, no live-in worker shall be required to work more than five (5) days in any one workweek without a day off of not less than 24 consecutive hours except in an emergency. See California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 3(B).

2. Rest And Meal Periods:

Household workers are entitled to a ten-minute paid rest break for every four (4) hours of work under California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 12(A), and a thirty-minute meal period of every five (5) hours worked, just like others kinds of employees, under California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 11(A).

Otherwise, the owner shall pay the worker one (1) hour of pay at regular rate for each workday that the rest period, or the meal period is not provided. See California Iwc Wage Order No. 15-2001 12(B), 11(D). But "personal attendants" are not granted rest and meal periods.

3. Meal And Housing Deductions From Wages:

The owner may subtract meal and housing toll from the employee's paycheck if: (a) the worker certainly uses the meals and is provided with housing; (b) meals and housing are used as salary to comply with the minimum wage; and (c) the worker executes a voluntary, written agreement, crediting meals and housing towards minimum wage.

Meal prestige may be deducted as follows: breakfast - .45; lunch - .35, and evening meal - .50. Housing may also be credited at .75 per week for a room (.20 if shared). See California Iwc Wage Order No. 15 - 2001 10(C).

In summary, either you are a caregiver or a "personal attendant" entitled to particular wages and benefits in California or in other states depends on either the normal household work you do exceeds 20% of your total work time.

(The Author, Roman P. Mosqueda, practices wage and hour law in California.

This article is not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed with the reader. For specific labor law issues, consult a competent attorney.)

I hope you receive new knowledge about Law And Order . Where you may offer easy use in your daily life. And most importantly, your reaction is passed about Law And Order .