Summary
The U.S. Department of Labor have proposed to get rid of Section 14(c) certificates and require workers with disabilities to be paid at or above minimum wage. Comment on this proposal before January 17, 2025 at 10:59 p.m. Central.
About the Proposal
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act was originally written in 1938 to make sure that people with disabilities had job opportunities even if they couldn’t find work in the competitive job market. However, it led to an industry that continues to pay people with disabilities wages below minimum wage. Now, people with disabilities can get employment that pays them a fair wage, thanks to legal protections, resources, and support. Employers also have more resources and training available that they can use to recruit, hire, and keep workers with disabilities at or above the full minimum wage.
The U.S. Department of Labor have tentatively concluded that subminimum wages are not needed to stop the loss of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. They have proposed to get rid of Section 14(c) certificates and require workers with disabilities to be paid a fair wage at or above minimum wage.
Public Comment
The public comment period is open until January 17, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern (10:59 p.m. Central).
You can read and comment on the full proposal on Regulations.gov here.
The National Disability Rights Network has a tool you can use to write your comment. You can find the tool here.