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Wages & Hours

OK to consider qualifications that aren’t in job description when setting pay

04/01/2008
Setting compensation for a highly skilled job applicant may mean having to offer more money than currently paid to employees performing the same type of job. But what if a current employee sues, alleging the pay disparity constitutes some form of discrimination? Can you avoid liability? …

Illinois DOL announces first victory under Equal Pay Act

04/01/2008
The Illinois Department of Labor has won its first case under the state’s Equal Pay Act, which went into effect in 2004. A female clerk for Main Street Liquors in Chicago filed a complaint after she discovered she was earning less than a male clerk for performing the same work …

Wage-and-Hour suits hot

04/01/2008
Wage-and-hour lawsuits are growing exponentially, according to the fourth Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report from national law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Illinois was one of the states experiencing the most significant growth in wage-and-hour filings …

CVS fined for child labor, overtime and timecard violations

04/01/2008
CVS Caremark Corp. was fined $226,000 by the U.S. Labor Department for changing employee timecards and violating child labor laws. The department found 43 violations at stores in seven states …

How long can we wind up handling wage assignments?

04/01/2008
Q. We have received a wage assignment for one of our employees. How long do we have to keep sending money in? …

What if an employee has more than one wage assignment going on simultaneously?

04/01/2008
Q. We have an employee for whom we have received two wage assignments. Which creditor do we pay? Both proportionally, or just the first one? Or do we alternate? …

Can we refuse to cooperate with a lender on a wage assignment?

04/01/2008
Q. Handling wage assignments seems like a lot of trouble. What if we skip the whole thing? Can we get in trouble? …

Are we allowed to punish employees whose wages are assigned?

04/01/2008
Q. I’m suspicious of employees who can’t handle their own financial affairs. Frankly, I’d rather not have irresponsible people working here. Can I fire an employee whose wages are assigned? …

Never manipulate time sheets to falsely show hours worked

04/01/2008
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the California Labor Code both require employers to keep meticulous records to prove employees are properly compensated. Paper records such as time sheets and pay stubs must accurately show what hours employees actually worked and the pay they earned. Violate those rules at your peril! …

Simple pay mistakes can cost big bucks

04/01/2008
What’s being underpaid $44.63 worth? It netted one lucky California employee more than $10,000 …