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Wages & Hours

In 40% of homes, mom is the primary wage earner

06/18/2013
Working moms are the primary breadwinners in 40% of households with kids under age 18, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.

New pay on the way: Update on New York wage-and-hour law

06/07/2013
Get ready, New York ­employers. New developments will affect how and how much you pay your employees. The state minimum wage will soon increase and the NYSDOL has proposed new regulations on wage deductions.

­­­­­­­­L.I. diner owners face prison after serving up a side of fraud

06/07/2013
The owners of a Nassau County ­diner face up to four years in prison after a joint federal/state investigation found massive payroll and tax fraud at the restaurant. They pleaded guilty to several felony and misdemeanor counts alleging wage-and-hour violations and shady bookkeeping.

New York City area a hotbed for FLSA cases

06/07/2013
The Southern and Eastern Federal Districts of New York are among the top five districts nationwide for FLSA lawsuits.

New York minimum wage to increase at end of year

06/07/2013
The state minimum wage for most jobs will rise to $8.00 per hour effec­­tive Dec. 31, 2013, after the Leg­­is­­la­­ture approved Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pro­­posal in late March. The minimum wage will increase twice more: to $8.75 on Dec. 31, 2014, and to $9.00 on Dec. 31, 2015.

Math class is in: How to figure exempts’ first/last week of pay

06/07/2013
Employees who are exempt from the FLSA need only be paid a proportionate amount of their full, weekly salary for their first and last weeks of work if they begin or terminate employment work midweek. A federal trial court has ruled that employers have a great deal of discretion when figuring this proportionate amount.

How should we determine if employees should be paid for time in training?

06/03/2013
Q. We send our hourly employees to training that is related to work but is not required for employees to do their jobs. The training is on a weekend, is voluntary, and no work is performed. Are we required to pay employees for the hours they spend attending the training?

Construction firm nailed for worker misclassification

05/31/2013
Freeman & Associates Contracting, a Raleigh construction firm, has agreed to pay four workers $20,000 in back wages after U.S. Department of Labor investigators determined the workers were improperly classified as independent contractors.

Employee filed incorrect pay complaint? It’s still protected

05/31/2013
Here’s a new twist on protected activity and retaliation: Apparently an employee can complain about wage-and-hour issues to the wrong agency—even one that has nothing to do with enforcing labor laws—and still gain protection from retaliation.

Farmer to pay back wages to migrant workers

05/31/2013
J. Roland Wood Farms, a Benson tobacco and sweet potato grower, has paid nearly $21,000 in back pay and penalties to 138 migrant workers following a DOL investigation into violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.