How the FLSA “tip credit” is applied has been pushed and pulled numerous times over the last two decades. In the latest volley, the Fifth Circuit entered an order on August 23, 2024, vacating the Department of Labor’s 2021 Final Rule on how employers pay wages for workers that receive tips. The court’s initial
Department of Labor
No. 1 of 10 Things Every Employer Should Know About OSHA: Walkaround Representatives
Please follow along as we discuss the top 10 things every employer should know about OSHA over the next few weeks.
- Employers and employees have the right to have a company employee or non-employee representative present during an OSHA site inspection.
According to 29 CFR 1903.8(c), employers and employees have the right to authorize…
Welcoming Our Robot Overlords? Navigating New Guidance on AI
As technology continues to evolve, so do the dynamics of labor and employment. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2024-1 (FAB 2024-1). FAB 2024-1 is a groundbreaking document shedding light on how the DOL thinks artificial intelligence (AI) and automated…
Raising the Threshold: DOL Issues Final Rule on Overtime Exemption Salary Requirements
On Tuesday, April 23, the United States Department of Labor issued its anticipated Final Rule on the Fair Labor Standards Act salary requirements for overtime exemption.
The Final Rule, which will likely face legal challenges, increases the salary threshold for white-collar overtime exemptions. Effective July 1, 2024, the minimum weekly salary for exempt status will…
OSHA Rights: You Have the Right to Retain a Representative
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a final rule amending a regulation regarding the right to designate a representative to accompany OSHA inspectors during a workplace inspection. Why do we need this, you ask?
In the world of occupational safety and hazards, OSHA administers regulations and has the ability to levy penalties.
I Haven’t Been Paying an Employee Correctly! Now What?
It is every employer’s nightmare: You find out that employees (or former employees) are claiming that they were not paid properly and are due overtime for the last two or three years. This primarily arises because you classified the employees as exempt (salaried) under the FLSA and they are challenging that classification, or the employees…
This Ain’t My Home, Now Pay Up: 11th Circuit Reverses on FLSA’s Live-In Service Worker Exemption
Someone who works in the home of their employer as a nanny or in another domestic service role is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) wage requirements, right? Not according to Blanco v. Samuel, a recent 11th Circuit opinion that reversed the district court’s ruling that a live-in employee was exempt.
The ‘New’ New Final Rule? DOL on Independent Contractors and the FLSA
Remember the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule? Well, forget it or at least most of it. Last week, the DOL published a new final rule for independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (the New Rule). The New Rule rescinds the 2021 rule and provides guidance on how to analyze whether an individual should…
Happy Anniversary! New Guide for the Rehabilitation Act
Last week, on the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act — which prohibits disability discrimination by federal contractors and other programs receiving federal funds — the EEOC and Department of Labor issued a resource guide for recruiting, hiring, and employing individuals with disabilities. The resource guide provides a helpful synopsis of the Rehabilitation Act’s…
Teaming Up? EEOC and DOL Announce Enhanced Enforcement Efforts
Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) issued a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that announced they are partnering for the purpose of information sharing and joint investigations. As you know, the EEOC investigates and enforces allegations of discrimination and retaliation under Title…