Here is an interesting development about overtime rules: Employers Seek Change in Comp-Time Rules. It will be an interesting debate to come, to see how the needs of workers who want the flexibility of comp time are balanced with those who have grown accustomed to earning paid overtime. It’s obvious that employers want the flexibility and cost savings of comp time, but some workers also want the option and feel hampered by the FLSA’s existing provisions. Others claim that employers will pressure workers into unwillingly accepting comp time rather supplementing their inadequate incomes with paid overtime. Given the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s involvement, this issue is guaranteed to be on the front burner in the next few months.

A great New York Times op-ed by Bob Herbert ran recently: Jobless, and Stunned. While unemployment claims may have fallen according to today’s reports (see Jobless Claims Fall in Latest Week), the statistics obviously do not tell the full story, especially for those who have exhausted their eligibility for benefits. And the unemployment benefits extension just passed by Congress and signed by the President doesn’t help those the estimated one million Americans who have already exhausted their benefit eligibility. See Bush Signs Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits.

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