Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The 2013 minimum hourly wage is set to go up in 10 states. Arizona. The rate goes from $7.65 to $7.80. The state’s minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a cost-of-living formula. Colorado. The rate is going from $7.64 an hour to $7.78 based on an annual cost-of-living adjustment. Florida. The rate goes from […]
In an unusual move, an appeals court decision earlier this month put the timekeeping burden for unpaid off-the-clock work on the employee, not the employer. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court’s decertification of a class action lawsuit on Nov. 6. The 6th Circuit held that the plaintiff had not recorded […]
The penalties for noncompliance with state wage-and-hour laws can be more onerous than that under federal law, which coffee company Starbucks learned the hard way. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected the company’s appeal of a $14.1 million judgment, finding it had misclassified its shift supervisors under a Massachusetts law and upholding […]
Employees who want to help victims of Hurricane Sandy through leave donation may do so without being taxed on the monetary value of the vacation days, sick days and personal leave they donate, the IRS announced Nov. 6. In a leave donation program, employees forgo vacation, sick or personal leave and return it to their […]
by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. By an almost 2-1 margin, Albuquerque voters overwhelmingly approved a measure on the city ballot Tuesday that will raise the minimum wage from $7.50 per hour to $8.50 per hour effective January 1. The unofficial vote was 138,000 to 70,699. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The measure also […]
Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction has left many homeowners, municipalities and businesses in need of reconstruction and repairs — and when such weather-related disasters require massive reconstruction efforts, many landscapers and builders hire subcontractors to help. Increased joint employer liability, particularly in those industries that frequently use subcontractors, often goes hand-in-hand with worker misclassification. Employers […]
The latest reports coming out of the northeast say that there are at least 7 million people without power because of Hurricane Sandy, and that number is expected to grow before it gets better. So when you close your business because of bad weather or power outages, are you required to pay employees? Here are […]
As the holiday season approaches, employers and employees are beginning to anticipate holiday bonuses. Whether they come in the form of material gifts, cash awards or other benefits, employers should be careful in providing them, because sometimes bonuses must be included in the employee’s pay rate. Although “improper bonus” cases are not common, they still […]
Yesterday’s Advisor featured common—and egregious—wage/hour missteps; today, four more, plus an introduction to the simple-to-use, popular guide that answers all your FLSA questions. [Go here for failures 1 to 3] 4. Providing inaccurate or falsified payroll records to the government Obviously, providing falsified records is not a wise practice. However, many submitted records are merely […]
“Equal pay for equal work” is a key talking point for President Obama’s re-election platform, and last night’s presidential debate gave both candidates the chance to discuss the growing issue of pay disparity between male and female employees. While Gov. Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women” comment in response to a question on this issue […]