Flexibility for Workers Education Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 988, I call up the bill (H.R. 2262) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exclude certain activities from hours worked, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. WALBERG. 2262.

Mr. Speaker, hardworking Americans should never be barred from voluntarily pursuing professional development or training opportunities. In fact, we should be giving workers more opportunities to get the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

Unfortunately, current Federal law makes it harder for employers to provide voluntary training and upscaling opportunities. Oftentimes that means workers must take time out of their busy lives to look beyond the workplace for programs that they should be able to get at work.

Needless to say, this makes absolutely no sense. Employers understand their employees and whether skills gaps exist in their own workforces. If a business knows how to train its employees to succeed in a role, then it should be allowed to teach those skills and invest in the employees' professional development. There simply is no need for arbitrary roadblocks that make it harder for businesses to offer voluntary trainings to their own employees.

Republicans are already promoting upscaling and training opportunities to help strengthen the American workforce. Last summer, we passed a Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which expanded opportunities for young Americans to access short-term, high-quality credentialing and training opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2262 builds on that success by simply allowing employers to offer voluntary education and upscaling opportunities to nonexempt employees so that workers can easily take control of their own professional development. This doesn't just help the business grow. It provides new, tangible skills that help employees do better in their own careers and sets them up for success on their own.

Mr. Speaker, let's make one thing clear: H.R. 2262 expands voluntary--voluntary--employer-led training opportunities. Businesses would still be required to compensate workers who receive mandatory job training. This bill simply makes it easier for ambitious employees to pursue additional professional development opportunities on their own terms, whether or not it is directly tied to their current job. If a bartender wants to take a course in restaurant management, he or she should be able to do so, and the employer would welcome that dedication.

Let's look at the bigger picture. Our workforce still has millions of unfilled jobs caused, in part, by a widening skills gap. As our own economy grows, thanks to the progrowth policies of Republicans and the Trump administration, many growing businesses are likely to face skills shortages of their own.

That is why we need commonsense legislation like the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, which makes it easier for workers to get the skills that they need to succeed and for businesses to find the right person for the job.

Throughout my time in Congress and now as chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I have consistently fought to expand opportunities to help workers thrive and grow. That is why I am proud to support H.R. 2262, the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, to remove obstacles and give workers more controls over their own careers.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly applaud my friend and colleague on the other side of the aisle for the commitment to making sure that workers are cared for, employees, but also I want employers to be cared for as well, and the two working together ends up to be the best.

Employers, generally speaking, care about their employees. I know my Democrat colleagues often disagree with that statement, but it is almost always the case in a successful business, especially in a time of intense competition for the workforce.

My Democrat colleagues have suggested that employers will attempt to use H.R. 2262 to commit wage theft. However, the bill clearly states that the educational activity must occur outside of an employee's regular working hours. The attendance is voluntary. The employer cannot take adverse action against an employee for attending the training or not, and the employee cannot perform any work for the employer during their attendance at the training.

I am not sure that it can be any more clear. H.R. 2262 gives employees more options to pursue success, not just in their current role, but in roles they may be interested in and would like to upskill and pursue. Employers recognize that investing in their workers is essential if they are to be successful.

This legislation offers a win for employees wanting to upskill and a win for employers who wish to develop their existing talent.

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Mr. WALBERG.

Republicans are committed to expanding opportunities for American workers. H.R. 2262, the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, is a commonsense bill that makes it easier for a business to offer voluntary upskilling opportunities to its employees.

As our Nation faces a widening skills gap and millions of unfilled jobs, H.R. 2262 would provide additional pathways for workers to pursue training and fill a growing number of jobs that require skilled workers.

As chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am committed to cutting red tape and removing roadblocks that make it harder for workers and businesses to succeed. The Flexibility for Workers Education Act is another strong step, Mr. Speaker, toward ensuring Washington doesn't put up roadblocks that hinder progress in our workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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