FLSA

Hourly computer programmers and overtime pay

05/06/2008

Q. We employ computer programmers who write sophisticated custom software programs for clients. We bill their services by the hour and pay them by the hour, based on their experience and the work involved. The hourly rates we pay range from $30 to $80 per hour. Sometimes, there is a rush on a project and the programmers have to work overtime. Do we have to pay time and a half the hourly rate if the programmers work over 40 hours per week? ….

Texas water company to pay $597,000 for FLSA violations

05/05/2008

A Texas company that provides water transfer services for the natural gas industry has agreed to pay $597,530 for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found that the Western Company of Texas, Inc., based in Justin, owed back wages to 237 employees. The company had failed to pay them overtime …

Training classes and travel time

05/01/2008

Q. Are employers required to pay employees their hourly wages when they are assigned to attend training classes? Our employees travel from Colorado Springs to Denver and are not paid or reimbursed for their travel time. They also are not paid during the two- or three-day training course. Employees travel to and from the training daily. If the employee does not stay with the company for one year and one day after completion of the training, the employee is required to reimburse the employer for the school. Are these practices legal? …

Careful what you wish for at IBM

05/01/2008

Victory wasn’t so sweet for thousands of employees who sued Armonk-based IBM claiming the company had illegally classified them as exempt. IBM agreed to reclassify them, making them eligible for overtime pay. The catch? The company cut their salaries by 15% …

Is comp time legal in lieu of overtime?

04/25/2008

Q. Can our company legally offer comp time instead of overtime? I’ve received conflicting answers. …

Federal minimum wage takes another jump on July 24

04/24/2008

On July 24, the federal minimum wage will take the second step in its three-step increase. The wage floor will rise from its current $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour …

Wachovia sued for back wages

04/23/2008

Carrie Williams, an employee at a Wachovia call center in Alabama, has filed a lawsuit alleging the company failed to pay employees for time spent logging onto computers before taking calls …

Prepping for work: How much time do you have to pay for?

04/21/2008

Perhaps no other aspect of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is more confusing than the so-called “donning and doffing” provisions. Exactly what preliminary preparation before work and cleanup after work should be included in paid time? Fortunately, a recent case helps clarify that employers don’t need to pay workers for many preliminary and post-work activities …

Can you set work-time minimums for exempt staff?

04/17/2008

Q. All our department managers are salaried. When they’re hired, they agree in writing to work at least 50 hours per week. If they miss a day or work only 45 hours in a week, can we deduct from their salaries? — B.L., Florida …

You don’t have to pay for all employee training

04/15/2008

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to compensate employees for any time spent on the job that benefits the employer. There are, however, some exceptions. For example, if employees use their own time to study materials that will qualify them for promotions, that time generally doesn’t have to be paid.