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Wages & Hours

Tentative settlement in Elite Model intern case

04/14/2014
Following on the heels of several highly publicized lawsuits filed by unpaid or underpaid interns, Elite Model Management has tentatively agreed to a settlement with a class of interns who claim the agency either didn’t pay them or paid them less than the minimum wage.

When managers do hands-on work, does that destroy their exempt status?

04/14/2014
Salaried retail managers often have to step in and perform nonmanagement tasks. The fact that they do some of the same work as hourly, rank-and-file staff doesn’t mean they aren’t exempt under the FLSA—as long as they are managing at the same time. In effect, multitasking is just another part of a manager’s job.

Obama orders target pay for contractors’ employees

04/10/2014
President Obama has signed two executive orders that the White House says will promote pay equity for American workers.

Base pay on job–not title or job description

04/08/2014

To avoid unintentional bias, HR and supervisors must look deeper than job descriptions when setting up pay scales. That’s why it’s best to regularly reevaluate your job descriptions and match them to actual job tasks and duties.

Know the FLSA’s requirements: Small, local employers may well have to comply

04/07/2014

Very small employers that aren’t engaged in interstate commerce sometimes try to argue that they don’t need to follow the FLSA because they are simply too local. But they often run into legal hurdles when employees sue, as this recent case shows.

Ensure collective bargaining agreements spell out exact wage-and-hour terms

04/03/2014
Here’s a case that illustrates at least one advantage for em­­ployers to a union workplace. If your collective bargaining agreement spells out how pay is calculated and excludes time spent donning and doffing work clothes and safety equipment, a contrary state wage-and-hour law doesn’t apply.

Supreme Court: Severance is FICA-taxable

04/01/2014
The U.S. Supreme Court on March 25 unanimously ruled that severance pay is subject to withholding of FICA taxes, which employers and employees pay to fund Social Security and Medicare.

Final business: 5 steps to take when an employee dies

04/01/2014

Beyond its obvious emotional impact, an employee’s death almost always leaves unfinished business for HR and payroll. Follow these steps to help smooth the process when you’re notified of an employee’s death …

Set one standard for tardiness, stick with it

03/31/2014
Make sure you set one standard for determining how late “tardy“ is and how it’s measured. The best bet: Use a time clock.

Obama seeks to make more employees eligible for OT

03/31/2014
President Obama on March 13 ordered the U.S. Department of Labor to propose rules to “update and modernize America’s overtime pay system, so that millions of our nation’s salaried workers will have the protections of overtime pay.”