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Wages & Hours

And you thought those tip jars never amounted to much

05/07/2008
After Starbucks baristas won a $105 million verdict in California over tip-sharing, a former barista has filed a nearly identical lawsuit against the company in New York …

Ensure FLSA exemption is for actual job—Not theoretical one

05/06/2008
When it comes to the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers can’t afford to make classification mistakes. Only exempt employees lose out on overtime when they work more than 40 hours per week. The U.S. Department of Labor—and courts—strictly interpret what constitutes exempt work and what does not …

DOL files back-Wage suit against Aggregate Industries

05/06/2008
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in back wages for 302 Denver-area employees of Aggregate Industries in Golden. The lawsuit claims the company paid truck drivers on a per-load basis without regard to the number of hours they worked, resulting in unpaid overtime …

Hourly computer programmers and overtime pay

05/06/2008
Q. We employ computer programmers who write sophisticated custom software programs for clients. We bill their services by the hour and pay them by the hour, based on their experience and the work involved. The hourly rates we pay range from $30 to $80 per hour. Sometimes, there is a rush on a project and the programmers have to work overtime. Do we have to pay time and a half the hourly rate if the programmers work over 40 hours per week? ….

Texas water company to pay $597,000 for FLSA violations

05/05/2008
A Texas company that provides water transfer services for the natural gas industry has agreed to pay $597,530 for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found that the Western Company of Texas, Inc., based in Justin, owed back wages to 237 employees. The company had failed to pay them overtime …

Consider telework’s impact on in-Office employees

05/02/2008
The more teleworkers you have on staff, the more dissatisfied your nonteleworking employees are likely to be with their jobs. And, compared to employees who only work face to face with colleagues, they’re more likely to change jobs. Those are the findings of a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute management professor …

Dollars attract summer interns, but experience keeps them

05/02/2008
If your organization hires summer interns, be prepared to offer them more than a lunch and a souvenir coffee cup. If you hope to cultivate those interns as future permanent employees, it is important to pay them … But beyond the big bucks, try these tactics to recruit capable interns who will consider signing on permanently after graduation.

Consulting firm keeps young workers with ‘Short’ hours, communication

05/02/2008
Censeo Consulting grooms young employees for long careers with the five-year-old Washington, D.C., company through frequent feedback and flexibility. Managers do their best to tailor the jobs so they suit the talents and career goals of each of the company’s 40 employees.

Severance pay is FICA taxable

05/02/2008
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that severance pay is considered taxable wages under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The decision in CSX Corporation v. United States means organizations must pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on severance payments …

Legal considerations in eliminating sick pay benefits

05/01/2008
Q. Is it legal in the state of Colorado for an employer to take away paid employee sick leave? If sick leave is a benefit, can the employer suddenly decide that it’s going to take it away, or does it have to pay you for the hours? Can the employer be required to freeze it for you to use if you need it? Can it be forced to pay accrued sick leave if you leave the company? …