Wages & Hours

Avoid surprise OT claims with this simple policy

05/08/2023

The Fair Labor Standards Act imposes stiff penalties on employers that cheat employees out of overtime pay. They must pay double what they should have paid in the first place. But there’s a simple way to avoid that liability: Have a policy that makes it easy for employees to report being underpaid. Then promptly investigate if someone reports not receiving the overtime pay they were expecting.

Post-pandemic, enforcement agencies step up oversight of hospitality and leisure industries

04/20/2023

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How much and when? The increase in the FLSA’s salary level for exempts is near (or not)

04/04/2023

Let’s be clear—no one knows what these regulations will contain. Nevertheless, it’s prudent to proceed as if these regulations will see the light of day next month.

Federal benefits contractor owes $3.1 million for underpaying staff

02/27/2023

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $3.1 million in back wages and fringe benefits for more than 3,100 workers at a California company that provides services to federal government employees enrolled in dental and vision insurance plans.

Be prepared to explain pay disparities

02/27/2023

It’s fine to pay some workers more than others. The key is understanding the federal Equal Pay Act and its state equivalents.

Supreme Court authorizes overtime for highly paid supervisor

02/24/2023

In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 22 ruled that Michael Hewitt, an oil rig supervisor who regularly earned more than $200,000 per year, is entitled to overtime pay.

Florida man: DOL sets sights on Sunshine State employers

02/21/2023

Feb. 16 was a bad day for Florida employers that recently ran afoul of the Department of Labor. On just that one day, the DOL announced fines and recoveries worth almost $400,000.

DOL never forgets: Slaps millions in penalties on repeat wage offender

02/03/2023

A commercial painting contractor in Las Vegas must have thought federal investigators would forget about his history of stiffing employees. He was wrong.

Survey: More employers taking action on pay equity

01/31/2023

WorldatWork’s latest Pay Equity Study found that 70% of organizations were taking action on pay equity in 2022, a 10% increase since 2019 and a 4% increase over 2021.

Court dismisses EPA case as push for pay equity intensifies

01/18/2023

To win an EPA case, the worker must show that the opposite sex was paid more for “equal work requiring substantially similar skill, effort and responsibilities performed under similar working conditions.” That’s increasingly difficult in a work environment where numerous new jobs rely on extremely specialized skills, making it almost impossible to prove jobs are substantially similar enough to allow a comparison.