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Payroll

OK to pay hourly employees monthly?

10/21/2008

Q. I own a retail store and I have large inventory outlay costs during the first half of the month. To help manage my cash flows, I would like to begin paying my hourly employees at the end of the month. Can I pay them once a month at the end of each month? …

Class action could take huge bite out of Apple

10/20/2008

On Aug. 4, a former employee filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and California law. If the court certifies the case for class-action status, as the employee wants—watch out! This could turn into one of the costliest wage-and-hour suits ever …

Temp agencies don’t have to cut check immediately after each assignment

10/20/2008

Some temp employees have tried to argue that they should be paid immediately for their work as soon as they finish a particular assignment—and not have to wait until the next regular payday. They’ve claimed that when each assignment ends, they are in effect being “discharged.” Now a federal trial court has clarified that the end of an assignment isn’t a “discharge.”

What are the rules for handling ‘seventh day’ overtime pay?

10/20/2008

Q. One of my employees worked four 10-hour days this week. His last day of work fell on Sunday, the seventh day of our workweek. We do not currently have an alternative work schedule arrangement. Do we have any overtime obligations to this employee? …

The HR I.Q. Test: November ’08

10/17/2008

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Can we require workers to pay for their uniforms?

10/17/2008

Q. We’d like our retail staff to wear uniforms. Can we charge them for the uniforms? …

Can we deduct pay from exempt employees who have used up PTO and FMLA leave?

10/10/2008

Q. We have an employee who has a degree in accounting and is treated as a salaried, exempt professional employee under the FLSA. He became ill and has used his 12 weeks of FMLA leave. He chose to use the PTO leave concurrent with his FMLA leave. Since he returned, he has missed seven additional days of work. Can the company deduct these missed days from his pay without losing the salaried, exempt status?

Things not to say during government hearings

10/08/2008

Betzy Cowan, who worked for McLean County Clerk Peggy Ann Milton, has filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor (DOL) seeking $3,000 in unpaid overtime. Testifying in a misconduct hearing against Milton last year, Cowan said her boss frequently asked her to shuttle Milton’s children home on county time …

Minutes—not just hours—count when figuring FMLA eligibility

10/08/2008

When it comes to getting paid, every minute matters in wage-and-hour cases. Does that same rigid rule apply to the FMLA?
The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago has now said you had better use your stopwatch when it comes to counting work time that applies to FMLA eligibility. Every minute counts toward the 1,250-hour minimum employees have to work in a year …

Nov. 4 ballot initiatives may change Colorado employment law

10/07/2008

November’s election has special implications for Colorado employers because a number of ballot issues involve employment law. The ballot features dueling initiatives: four measures brought by organized labor in response to three measures sponsored by business interests …