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Wages & Hours

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?

Two new California laws will cost employers in two ways

10/29/2013
California has two new laws affecting employers in the state. The first, signed into law in Au­­gust, applies to employers that prevail in wage-related lawsuits. It limits their ability to obtain attorneys’ fee awards. The second, signed in September, raises California’s minimum wage to $10 per hour by January 2016.

9th Circuit upholds CDIR’s apprenticeship crackdown

10/29/2013
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the California Department of Industrial Relations (CDIR) did not violate U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship rules when it ordered three contractors to remove from public works projects apprentices who were enrolled in a federally run program.

Assigning temporary additional duties? Beware salary creep that could violate EPA

10/29/2013
As employers continue to try doing more with less, employees sometimes find themselves handling additional duties and responsibilities. That can cause real problems if it results in female employees doing extra work, and they wind up being paid less than male co-workers.