Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As we find ourselves in the last quarter of 2024, we felt it was right to go back to the basics for those navigating the complex landscape of employment law. Understanding these laws helps to protect your business from legal disputes and fosters a positive environment for employees while ensuring compliance and a fair and […]
Following Estrada v. Royalty Carpet Mills, Inc., the California Supreme Court’s employee-friendly Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ruling earlier this year, employers must remain more diligent than ever to prevent and mitigate costly wage and hour litigation. Estrada eliminated one of employers’ central tools to curb sprawling PAGA claims: requesting dismissal based on the court’s […]
The fundamental premise of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is that all employees are covered by its base requirements. This includes being paid minimum wage for every hour worked and time and one-half for all overtime. The FLSA is a statute of inclusion, which means all employees are covered unless they fit within specific, […]
On January 1, 2022, Arizona’s minimum wage increased to $12.80 per hour, making it the sixth highest among the 50 states (according to the minimum wages posted on laborlawcenter.com). While we continue to see an increase in state and local minimum wage statutes, according to minimum-wage.org, 21 states either had no minimum wage laws or had adopted […]
There’s been an ongoing battle between employers and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) over when someone is considered an independent contractor versus an employee. A recent decision from the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse summary judgment (dismissal without trial) in favor of the DOL gives employers some guidance and reason for […]
In the current battle to hire and retain good workers, employers have developed creative ways to balance employees’ increased compensation expectations against the costs of running a business. In addition, restaurants using the tip credit have the extra administrative difficulties of making sure their tipped employees are being paid enough in tips to meet the […]
Nearly four years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held employers can enforce arbitration agreements that waive an employee’s right to join a class action lawsuit. Since then, many companies have avoided what would be costly class action lawsuits, particularly in the wage and hour context, by requiring individual arbitration with employees. Despite this, there was […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) performs wage and hour audits of employers by selecting them at random, or because they are in targeted industries (usually low-wage), or as a result of a complaint from an employee or former employee. The investigations have increased significantly over the past few years and can result in orders […]
Inspections for wage and hour law compliance by state and federal authorities are increasingly common. Here is what New Hampshire employers need to know.
A new rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) requiring minimum wage and overtime pay for many homecare workers is set to take effect after a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The DOL instituted a rule in 2013 that removed the domestic service exemption for homecare […]