Wages & Hours

Now is the time to get in front of the coming pay-equity wave

03/25/2021

Closing the wage gap between women and men is emerging as one of today’s most pressing workplace challenges. Smart employers are planning for a post-pandemic future in which there is greater wage parity between women and men.

Assure gender equity by assessing your operations

03/18/2021

The Biden administration is signaling it is serious about addressing pay disparities between women and men in the workplace. A White House executive order issued March 8 established a Gender Policy Council to help combat systemic, gender-based bias and harassment.

Double wages due for ignoring FLSA pay rules

03/18/2021

When the Department of Labor catches employers underpaying employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the penalty is to pay the amount owed—and then double it. If the underpaid employee hired an attorney to plead her case, then the employer may end up paying those legal fees, too.

DOL rescinds 2 Trump-era wage-and-hour rules

03/16/2021

The Department of Labor moved March 11 to rescind two rules finalized by the Trump administration that the DOL now says significantly weaken protections afforded to workers by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Paycheck Fairness Act introduced again, and this time it could pass

02/23/2021

The PFA places a high bar in front of employers trying to justify differentials between the wages paid to women and men.

Report: Wage-and-hour cases to ‘explode’ in 2021

02/19/2021

In 2020, workers filed class-action wage cases at the highest level in two decades, according to Seyfarth Shaw’s annual litigation report.

Another agency to watch out for: the FTC

02/18/2021

Government agencies such as the EEOC and the Department of Labor often sue employers on behalf of employees who claim they were wronged. Now there’s another federal agency taking on employers: the Federal Trade Commission.

Google $3.8M settlement shows equal-pay risk

02/11/2021

Ignoring your obligation to provide equal pay for equal work can be expensive. Google just agreed to pay millions to fix illegal pay disparities. Advice: Ferret out pay imbalances before a federal agency (or class-action lawyer) decides to make an example of your organization.

New coronavirus plan addresses HR issues

01/19/2021

Days before becoming president, Joe Biden outlined a $1.9 trillion emergency plan to fight the coronavirus pandemic and jump-start an economic recovery. Several plan elements affect HR.

Identify pay disparities, correct them now

12/10/2020

Here’s a reminder that employers should proactively revise their pay practices with an eye toward ending pay disparities. The fact is, agencies such as the EEOC are going all out to make sure women are paid as much as men, even if the differences are small or don’t last long.