White House huddles with caregiver group on minimum wage rule
The rule, which has been under review at the White House since
January, would end the so-called “companionship exemption.” The
exemption has existed since 1974, and advocates of reform say it
was meant for babysitters and helpful neighbors, not
professional domestic caregivers.  The effort to reform the law
stretches back to the Clinton administration, but labor unions
and other supporters of the new regulation are optimistic that
President Obama will finally finish the job.  The Private Care
Association, which represents registries that refer people to
self-employed caregivers, is worried that the new rule would
define those registries as “employers” and make them responsible
for the aides’ pay.  “A caregiver registry is not a decision
maker on any substantive aspect of a home-care relationship,”
the organization said in a memo provided to the White House. 
However, the new rule “would expose caregiver registries to
potential liability for overt