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The Fair Labor Standards Act turns 75 today, June 25. When the law was enacted as part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal policies it established the minimum wage, overtime and other labor standards that still govern today’s workplaces. Those standards turned out to be just the “baby steps” of a law that has grown to […]
An increasing number of employers are examining providing a low-benefits health plan that covers only preventive health services but not high-price major medical claims. Offering this type of low cost or “skinny” plan is allowed under the health reform law. The question is: Will skinny plans trigger a large-employer exodus to de minimis coverage, and if so, […]
The summer job season for teenagers kicks off in the next few weeks. Therefore, employers planning to hire young workers to augment their workforce must make sure they are compliant with the child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act to avoid facing steep penalties. Whether they are bagging groceries or mowing lawns, working […]
by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. New Mexico’s Fair Pay for Women Act (FPWA) goes into effect June 14, affecting all employers with at least four employees. The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex “by paying wages to employees . . . at a rate less than the rate that the employer pays wages […]
May 21 is National Waiters and Waitresses Day. The origin of the holiday is unclear, but it recognizes the value and importance of a good waiter or waitress, and encourages restaurant patrons to reward their food servers with good tips. Employers need to remember that under federal law, generally those tips belong to the food […]
A wave of strikes by fast-food and other low-wage workers continues to spread in major cities around the country as employees take action to increase their pay and gain other workplace rights and benefits. Strikes have taken place in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and Milwaukee as the movement appears to be gaining […]
by Sophie E. Zdatny House Bill 99, titled “an act relating to equal pay,” has cleared both chambers of the Vermont Legislature and is set to be signed into law by Governor Peter Shumlin on Tuesday, May 14. The final bill amends Vermont’s Fair Employment Practices Act to provide that an employer may pay different […]
If an employee who typically works a Monday through Friday schedule, travels out of town on a Sunday to attend a training that will be held on Monday, is the employee entitled to be paid for the time he/she is out traveling? This great question from a customer highlights a perpetual issue for employers: What […]
Yesterday’s Advisor featured attorney Ted Boehm’s tips for handling tricky wage and hour issues. Today, his take on difficult deduction issues, plus an introduction to Wage & Hour Self-Audit Guide: Practical Solutions for HR. Boehm, an associate in the Atlanta office of law firm Fisher & Phillips, LLP, offered his tips at a recent webinar […]
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a tricky statute that creates a landmine for unwary employers, says attorney Ted Boehm, and it’s made worse by a number of misconceptions and myths commonly believed by employers. For example, says Boehm, there’s the misconception that employers may provide “comp time” in lieu of overtime compensation. For […]