Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a series of August events highlighting the importance of maternal health and workplace protections for expectant and new mothers to mark National Breastfeeding Month. On Aug. 10, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EDT, the department’s Wage and Hour Division and Women’s Bureau and the U.S.…
Folks, someday, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) may darken your door to audit your books and records. Perhaps, they’ll find a violation and require you to pay back wages and liquidated damages. If your next steps involve retaliating against employees who cooperate with investigators and…
Has anyone ever sued your business for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act? This federal law requires covered employers to pay minimum wage and overtime at time-and-a-half when employees work more than 40 hours in a workweek. They can be expensive to defend — even the ones that aren’t collective…
Last week, the House and Senate introduced a bill called the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act. One of the bill’s primary goals is to ensure that workers receive timely regular paystubs and final paychecks. That seems non-controversial. But as you read deeper into the proposed legislation, you’ll find…
Don’t worry. I can get you past the bouncers. The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) previously announced that it is reviewing the minimum wage and overtime rules — specifically, as they relate to exemptions that employers take for bona fide executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) employees under…
Whether a six-figure supervisor is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime rules is probably not something that’s kept you up at night — unless you pay your employees a lot of money without paying them a salary (e.g., day rates). Or you’re just an FLSA nerd like me.…
Last week, I read this press release from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announcing a six-figure recovery from an employer that “illegally placed a cap on overtime at 16 hours per pay period and paid any overtime beyond 16 hours at straight time rates, a violation…
Yes, even lawyers can misclassify non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. What happened? According to this U.S. Department of Labor press release, a Detroit law firm paid its administrative and support staff workers a salary for all hours worked but failed to pay at least 36 workers the…
Always wait at least one hour before swimming after a large meal. That big brown shark in the swimming pool isn’t always a Baby Ruth. Hold the cue stick properly. Chalk up before each shot. These are solid (and mildly off-putting) pool tips. But let’s talk about tip pools instead.…
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued its second Field Assistance Bulletin of the year. This one is all about protecting workers from retaliation. Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because they engaged in a protected activity. The Bulletin provides…