Wages & Hours

High-level managers have pay discretion? You’re courting a class-action lawsuit

11/26/2013

Broad discretion about compensation at the bottom of the pay scale usually prevents employees from pursuing a class-action lawsuit similar to the one in the Supreme Court’s 2011 landmark Wal-Mart v. Dukes case. However, all bets are off if the issue is pay for higher-level employees.

Ex-worker didn’t return property: Can we tap his PTO?

11/22/2013

Q. After an employee quit, he failed to return certain company property (badge, access card, etc.). Can we legally withhold his PTO balance because of this?

Found misclassification problem? Fix it fast

11/19/2013

Avoid costly litigation by reviewing how you classify your employees as exempt or nonexempt. If you discover you have made a mistake, fix it right away. You’ll cut your misclassification liability.

How much is that paid internship worth?

11/15/2013

Undergrads working in organizations that offer paid internships earn a mean hourly rate of $12.74, according to a SHRM survey.

Don’t let court take employee’s word on hours; keep your own time records for all staff

11/15/2013

Here’s a case that should send chills down your spine if you don’t keep meticulous records of every hour worked. A court has allowed an employee’s lawsuit to proceed based on little more than her vague allegation that she wasn’t paid overtime for hours in excess of 40 per week.

Manhattan strippers gain minimum wage, overtime

11/14/2013

A federal judge has ruled that federal labor law covers strippers at Rick’s Cabaret in midtown Manhattan. As a result, they must be paid the minimum wage and are entitled to overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a week.

Will photocopy for … what?

11/13/2013

Paid internships pay off. Unpaid internships, not so much. Here’s how internship experience affects starting salaries:

Texas AG lawyer blows whistle on hostile work environment

10/31/2013

An attorney in Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office has filed a whistle-blower complaint claiming he has been forced to work in a hostile environment. Among his allegations: rampant discrimination, misuse of taxpayer dollars and falsification of hourly time sheets.

Harris Health System pays out $4M for back OT

10/31/2013

Harris Health System in Houston will pay out more than $4 million in back pay after it failed to include incentive pay when calculating overtime for thousands of hourly staff members.

Can work continue during paid lunch break?

10/29/2013

Q. Our hourly employees have a paid 30-minute lunch break. Sometimes we ask them to do some work during that time. Is this OK since we pay them or are we required to provide them with a complete break?