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FLSA

Ignorance is no excuse for wage violations

03/13/2018

Pleading ignorance is no defense if you are sued for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act. In fact, not bothering to learn the intricacies of wage-and-hour law may cost you even more than out-and-out cheating your employees does.

Pennsylvania prepares on its own to address overtime salary test

03/13/2018
The issue: Was an employee improperly classified as exempt instead of nonexempt? At stake: The possibility of being awarded back overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 per week.

Court gives workers 2nd chance on FLSA suit

03/13/2018

A federal court considering an overtime dispute recently dismissed the lawsuit because it didn’t include enough details—but then told the workers they could file an amended complaint addressing the deficiencies.

Bonuses or pay raises: Which works best?

02/22/2018

In December, some high-profile businesses announced they planned to give bonuses to their employees. Other companies said they would raise the minimum wage entry-level employees receive, with corresponding increases for higher-paid staff. Both strategies recognize a tightening job market. Which one is right for your organization?

Must we pay for travel time between home and airport and between airport and hotel?

02/21/2018

Q. Is an employer required to pay an employee for time spent traveling from home to the airport (and vice versa, from airport to home on the return trip), and for travel time from the airport to a hotel (and vice versa)?

How should we pay nonexempt employees when they are traveling on business?

02/21/2018

Q. Our sales team travels around the country for client pitches and various project meetings. Some members of the sales team are nonexempt. While flying, some staff perform work on their computers, while others relax or listen to music. Are we required to pay employees for travel time even if the employees are not working?

DOL re-issues previously withdrawn wage-and-hour opinion letters

02/21/2018

The U.S. Department of Labor has reissued 17 previously withdrawn opinion letters concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act. Most were written during the George W. Bush administration.

Facing DOL wage charges, SoCal health care firm settles

02/21/2018

A company that operates residential care facilities in Mission Hills and Laguna Niguel has settled federal charges it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

California Supreme Court must rule on meal break pay

02/21/2018

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the California Supreme Court to answer several questions about meal breaks and whether certain employees are entitled to additional payments for missed meals.

States take lead on raising overtime salary thresholds

02/21/2018

The Obama-era plan to raise the salary threshold for overtime-exempt employees from $23,660 to $47,476 died in the courts. Now the DOL says it’s looking into a more modest raise in the threshold—somewhere near $33,000. But some states aren’t waiting.