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Wages & Hours

Limiting on-call activity? Pay for that time

08/22/2013
The California Court of Appeal has held that employees need to be compensated for “on-call” hours if the employer substantially restricts their ability to engage in nonwork activities. However, employers may exclude eight hours of sleep time from 24-hour shifts, if an agreement between the employer and employee calls for it.

New Flyer signs new union pact with St. Cloud workers

08/20/2013
Bus manufacturer New Flyer has agreed to a new contract with unionized employees at its St. Cloud plant. The four-year agreement provides annual wage increases of 2.5% in the first two years, 2% in the third and 2.25% in the fourth year. The pact also freezes entry-level wages and increases the amount of time it takes new employees to max out on pay.

Austin settles with UAW local, ending drawn-out negotiation

08/20/2013
The city of Austin has settled a long-running labor dispute with its street, wastewater treatment, and parks and recreation workers represented by the United Auto Workers union. For three years, the two sides clashed over payday schedules, overtime and alleged salary structure inequities.

Rules against off-the-clock work don’t end OT claims

08/20/2013
Most employers have strict rules against working overtime without authorization. They use time clocks or other tracking systems to keep accurate records. But what if supervisors tell employees to work before they clock in or after they clock out?

Hell hath no fury like an English major scorned

08/13/2013
Publishing giant Condé Nast is being sued by two college students who allege they were illegally underpaid while interning at two of the company’s flagship magazines.

What are the rules for compensating nonexempts for overnight travel?

08/07/2013
Q. Several of our employees will be required to travel to another state for a seminar. What’s the rule for compensating nonexempt employees who take overnight business trips?

Which country is the world’s hardest-working?

07/29/2013
We do a good job of keeping our noses to the grindstone here in the United States, where the average employee puts in 1,798 hours per year. But we’ve got nothing on the world’s hardest-working industrialized countries.

What do we need to consider when crafting a policy on unpaid intern injuries?

07/26/2013
Q. We recently started to provide unpaid internship opportunities to local college students… The interns are not subject to the same process as other permanent or temporary employees in terms of background checks and workers’ compensation insurance. Now we’re looking at how best to structure this relationship to address issues such as what happens if an intern is hurt at a client facility. How should we approach this?

Reporting-time pay: What if it’s clear employee is in no condition to work?

07/23/2013
Q. Does California’s reporting-time pay law apply to workers who report to work but appear to be unable or unfit to work?

How should we pay for overnight travel?

07/23/2013
Q. I know that the laws on overnight travel time are more restrictive in California than under federal law. Does the overnight travel rule under federal law apply in California or does an employer have to pay all travel time even if overnight travel is involved?