Press release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation that attempts to provide dignity through compensation to state workers has passed the Legislature and is headed to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 2465, authored by Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City), provides that a state employee shall not be required to use comp time rather than sick leave if sufficient hours are available.
“State employees regularly work odd or extra hours to ensure that their agencies mission is accomplished and that the needs of thousands of Oklahomans are met,” Dunnington said. “It’s abhorrent that we have a system that in effect punishes these employees for being sick.”
The bill also mandates overtime pay, rather than comp time, for hours worked over 40 per week for an employee earning less than $31,000 annually.
“Our state employees work hard and receive little recognition nor ask for it,” Dunnington said. “Oklahoma needs to do a better job of appreciating the work that state employees do and the role that they play not just in state government but in our communities. This legislation seeks to do that by ensuring that our lowest wage earners are being compensated for time above forty hours a week.”
This legislation is now eligible to be signed by the governor.
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