Home care workers could finally get overtime pay

A new federal court decision has cleared the way for home aides in California and around the country to begin receiving overtime pay for their work.

The workers were supposed to start getting overtime earlier this year thanks to a new regulation from the U.S. Department of Labor, but that was put on hold during a legal battle.

A decision released Friday morning by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington allows the regulation to take effect.

Unless the ruling is successfully appealed, California is prepared to begin paying overtime to workers who assist low-income elderly and disabled residents as part of a state program.

State leaders budgeted $270 million for the extra salaries in the current fiscal year, which began July 1.

Laphonza Butler, who represents thousands of home care workers as a leader in the Service Employees International Union, welcomed the court ruling.

“Today’s decision must end the decades of unequal treatment forced upon caregivers in California,” she said in a statement.

Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.