Ask the Expert: Must We Pay Employees for Sleeping Time?
We run an assisted living facility. We had a blizzard in our area last week and asked for employees to volunteer to spend the night in case they were not able to get in the next day.
Tag: Wage Hour
Recent Enforcement Cases Signal Continued Enforcement Focus on Pay, Hiring
By Susan Schoenfeld, JD The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently announced a number of settlements in enforcement cases against federal government contractors demonstrating a continued emphasis on pursuing systemic hiring and pay discrimination claims against government contractors. Settlements cost ranged from $165,000 to $1.8 million and required the affected contractors to take […]
FLSA: Papa John’s Franchisee Faces Wage and Hour Violations
By Joshua A. Cline, JD Most employers know that failing to pay minimum wage or overtime can lead to serious consequences. When employees file lawsuits claiming unpaid overtime wages, they can bring in their coworkers, leading to lawsuits that are both costly to defend and costly to settle.
Lunch Breaks Can Give Employers Indigestion
By Michael P. Maslanka, JD The question of whether lunch breaks are compensable recently surfaced in a case from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas). The court’s decision is instructive and provides a timely reminder that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is fraught with danger.
Ask the Expert: Employee Pay Rules for Weather-Related Closings?
Our office was forced to close for two days due to flooding in our area. How do we handle paying the employees who were scheduled to work on these days? What about the people who had scheduled vacation time and personal hours on these days?
Joint Employment under the FLSA, MSPA, and FMLA
By Susan Prince, JD, M.S.L. A joint employment relationship and the responsibilities that go with it can be very confusing for employers. Just establishing whether or not a joint employment relationship even exists can be a point of contention. Therefore, on January 20, 2016, the federal Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) […]
FLSA: Federal Circuit Court Offers Tips for Avoiding Tip-Related Trouble
By Maggie LeBato, JD A recent case decided by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans (which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) serves as good guidance for hospitality and restaurant industry employers with tipped employees.
Ask the Expert: Which States Are Raising Minimum Wages in 2016?
Do you have a listing of those states who are slated to raise their minimum wages in 2016? How will this affect the exempt employees in that state?
Employer Learns Expensive Lesson on Attorneys’ Fees in FLSA Case
By Ryan B. Frazier, JD The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides for awards of attorneys’ fees and costs “in addition to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff.” Attorneys’ fees can be substantial, and in some cases, they may be much larger than overtime compensation awards.
Wives’ Earnings Make Gains Relative to Husbands’, Says Census Bureau
Between 2000 and 2015, the share of married couples where the wife earned at least $30,000 more than the husband increased from 6% to 9%, according to statistics announced in a press release by the United States Census Bureau.