FLSA

They didn’t seriously argue that, did they? Religion in the kitchen stirs the DOL to action

06/21/2023

Religion in the workplace is a touchy matter. What if your boss brought in a priest and encouraged everyone to confess their sins? What if you weren’t Catholic? It’s not a hypothetical question. An employee of a California restaurant testified that his employer brought in a person identified as a priest to hear their confessions during work hours.

PUMP Act becomes effective April 28

04/10/2023

The PUMP Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, extends FLSA-protected unpaid lactation breaks to nursing mothers who are exempt employees. The law becomes effective April 28. The Department of Labor has already revised Fact Sheet #73 to account for this change. It’s also created some new resources ahead of the law’s effective date.

How much and when? The increase in the FLSA’s salary level for exempts is near (or not)

04/04/2023

Let’s be clear—no one knows what these regulations will contain. Nevertheless, it’s prudent to proceed as if these regulations will see the light of day next month.

Companies cut employees, hire contractors instead

01/31/2023

Layoffs are in the news again, but research conducted by ResumeBuilder.com in January suggests some job cuts aren’t a response to lower consumer demand in a sluggish economy, but old-fashioned cost-cutting instead.

$5.6 million mistake: Misclassifying employees as contractors doesn’t save money

01/27/2023

Some employers look for almost any excuse to treat workers as independent contractors instead of employees. The reason is usually simple: Contractors generally cost less than employees. However, those savings can be wiped out in a flash if the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determines those contractors should really have been classified as employees all along.

Begin complying with PUMP Act immediately

01/24/2023

The recently enacted PUMP Act—PUMP stands for Providing Urgent Maternal Protections—expands new mothers’ rights to express breast milk at work. Employers must begin complying now.

Pay for travel time to voluntary OT shift?

01/17/2023

If an hourly employee has to travel from one location to another to continue their principal activities during the workday, then that’s paid time. Commuting time, however, is unpaid. But what if an employee completes a full shift at one location and voluntarily takes on an overtime shift at a different location?

Ignore DOL investigators, leave work in handcuffs

01/13/2023

The owner of three northern New Jersey restaurants has learned that not cooperating with a federal investigation and ignoring federal court orders can earn you a trip to jail.

Plan now for the coming higher OT salary threshold

01/13/2023

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced plans to raise the salary threshold that qualifies white-collar employees for overtime pay. With a notice of proposed rulemaking due in May, HR pros should start preparing now for changes that will probably have to be implemented by the end of the year.

DOL to propose new OT threshold by May

01/11/2023

Millions more white-collar employees could become newly eligible for overtime pay later this year. The Department of Labor has confirmed plans to update the overtime salary threshold by May.