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FLSA

Don’t delay paying overtime for workers on temp assignments

07/01/2008
Sometimes, employers send employees away on temporary assignments. Often, that means long hours in strange locations and less communication between employees and the home office. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can delay paying legitimate wages—such as overtime—if the employee isn’t exempt …

Public employers, take note: Appeals court rules on firefighter/Paramedic exemption

07/01/2008
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over New Jersey employers, has finally ruled on a sticky point that has perplexed many fire departments. The court has concluded that paramedics who also have firefighting responsibilities can be paid less than time-and-a-half for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act …

Salary reductions and exempt status

07/01/2008
Q. We are considering reducing salaries across the board because of a slowdown in business. Will reducing the salary of exempt employees jeopardize their exempt status? …

Unpaid time off and exempt employees

07/01/2008
Q. Some of our exempt salaried employees are requesting time off without pay. Can we do this without jeopardizing their exempt status? …

HR Specialist Editors Bring You the Best from SHRM Chicago

06/24/2008
For a week each year, the Society for Human Resource Management’s Annual Conference becomes the center of the HR world. HR Specialist editors have joined 13,000 of our peers in Chicago this week for four days of professional development covering HR’s hottest topics and presented by the profession’s  leading experts. Here’s some of the best from the world’s biggest HR conference.

The ins and outs of employing minors

06/17/2008
Q. Now that summer is here, we have received applications from students under the age of 18 seeking seasonal employment with our company. Are there any requirements or restrictions that we need to be aware of before we hire a minor? …

Paying for steward’s time spent on the grievance process

06/12/2008
Q. We have a problem with the union steward in our plant. He seems to think that his primary responsibility is working for the union, and that his job is secondary. He spends an inordinate amount of time filing and working on grievances. Are we required to pay an employee who is the union steward for time spent on union activities? …

Compulsory call-Out doesn’t automatically mean paid wait time

06/11/2008
Some industries are prone to emergencies that suddenly increase the workload. And some companies insist that all employees be available by phone or other means at least part of the time. That doesn’t mean, however, that those subject to a mandatory call-out must be paid for the time they spend waiting for a call …

Must we pay for unapproved overtime?

06/11/2008
Q. Our company requires employees to obtain their supervisors’ prior approval for all overtime. Our management takes the position that it does not need to pay overtime if employees don’t get approval first. My understanding is that all hours worked must be paid. Which is correct? …

Minnesota Supreme Court clarifies employer penalties

06/10/2008
The Supreme Court of Minnesota has issued a decision clarifying penalties under the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act (MFLSA). The ruling makes it clear that employers that don’t follow the law and don’t maintain the required wage-and-hour records may face large fines payable to the state …