It’s hard enough to juggle a career and childcare responsibilities — but many employees with young children also have aging parents who need their help, too. Expenses, time constraints, emotional decision-making, and...more
2/17/2025
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Caregivers ,
Child Care ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Elder Care ,
Employee Assistance Programs ,
Employee Benefits ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
State Labor Laws ,
Title VII ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wellness Programs
If you take the tip credit for employees that receive gratuities, you’ll want to review your policies and practices in light of Monday’s game-changing announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The Department...more
We all tend to thrive in a positive work environment that provides support, encouragement, and tools for success – but what happens if a workplace is too positive? Are your managers glossing over glaring issues that need to...more
There’s been a lot of buzz about tipped wages as Election Day approaches – and hospitality employers will want to track key proposals that may have a huge impact on pay practices. Former President Trump and Vice President...more
9/3/2024
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Income Taxes ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Service Charges ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
A federal appeals court just delivered some good news to hospitality employers by blocking the Department of Labor’s infamous 80/20/30 rule, providing immediate relief to employers around the country by vacating the...more
8/26/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Appeals ,
Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Minimum Wage ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage & Hour Division (WHD) ,
Wage and Hour
By now you’ve heard of “quiet quitting” — a movement where employees rejected hustle culture or going above and beyond what their jobs required. But a new trend this summer takes the “quiet” concept to another level. Instead...more
Many restaurants utilize tip pools to encourage teamwork, consistency, and customer-focused service – but you may be confused about who can and can’t participate in the pool. You feel confident that your servers and...more
5/17/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Minimum Wage ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
When Taylor Swift revealed the track list for “The Tortured Poets Department” – a new album she’ll release on April 19 – fans immediately began theorizing about what might have inspired each song. While your #FPSwifties live...more
4/12/2024
/ Ban the Box ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Job Applicants ,
Notice Requirements ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Remote Working ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Romances
The day before Valentine’s Day is about “ladies celebrating ladies,” as Amy Poehler’s character on the TV show Parks & Rec put it – it’s Galentine’s Day. But this year, your organization shouldn’t just leave it to women to...more
2/12/2024
/ Diversity ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Engagement ,
Employee Retention ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Flexible Work Arrangements ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Promotions ,
Mentors ,
Wellness Programs ,
Work Life Balance
While we respect Taylor Swift’s accomplishments for so many reasons, your #FPSwifties particularly admire Ms. Swift as an employer. From employee appreciation (those legendary tour bonuses sound really nice!) to her...more
Employers across a wide variety of industries are looking to ramp up their hiring efforts as the holiday season begins. Indeed, many businesses will rely on temporary workers to meet the uptick in demand that holiday shopping...more
11/20/2023
/ Confidential Information ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Eligibility Verification ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Minors ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Seasonal Employment ,
Seasonal Workers ,
Supervisors ,
Temporary Employees ,
Wage and Hour
Hotel staff often include a mix of tipped and non-tipped jobs, but following wage and hour rules isn’t always easy, particularly if employees perform a variety of tasks. Some workers — such as servers and bartenders — may...more
9/13/2023
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Hotels ,
Minimum Wage ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage & Hour Division (WHD) ,
Wage and Hour
Last week’s news that the Labor Department is proposing a hefty increase to the weekly salary requirement to qualify employees for the overtime exemption has put the spotlight on how much you pay your employees – but that...more
9/6/2023
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Job Duties ,
Minimum Salary ,
Over-Time ,
Poor Job Performance ,
Proposed Rules ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
A federal court just refused to block the U.S. Department of Labor’s infamous 80/20 rule, which applies to employers that take the tip credit toward their minimum wage obligation under federal wage and hour law – which means...more
An appeals court just raised the bar for employees seeking to notify other potential plaintiffs about collective wage and hour claims under federal law. Employees may bring such claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act on...more
As an FP Weekly member, you’ll receive practical and cutting-edge checklists of issues to consider, action steps to take, and goals to accomplish to ensure you remain on the top of your game when it comes to workplace...more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years — and this past...more
5/1/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automation Systems ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Enforcement ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Mental Health ,
NLRB ,
OFCCP ,
OSHA ,
SCOTUS
Do you utilize a tip pool in your restaurant? If so, you are likely aware of the various rules on maintaining a valid, lawful tip pool under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable state laws. You surely...more
Last week, Montana and Tennessee became the eighth and ninth states to pass comprehensive consumer privacy legislation. The bills were approved by the respective legislatures and are expected to soon be signed by governors of...more
Federal wage officials recently announced that two Florida restaurants with common ownership failed to properly calculate overtime pay when their employees worked at both locations in the same workweek – sending a stark...more
3/22/2023
/ Back Pay ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Joint Employers ,
Liquidated Damages ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour
When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the state’s “Anti-Drag” law into effect on March 3, he raised a host of questions for hospitality businesses across the state. According to the law’s sponsor, it is not meant to target...more
Famous parents often smooth the road to stardom for their children — even when their kids have earned a place in Hollywood through talent and hard work. After all, getting an audition is easier for the aspiring actor whose...more
More than a year after the US Department of Labor announced the return of the time-keeping nightmare that is the 80/20 rule with new tweaks that encourage even more litigation, the agency just released new guidance that...more
Each week, FP Weekly members receive a practical and cutting-edge checklist of issues to consider, action steps to take, and goals to accomplish to ensure you remain on the top of your game when it comes to workplace...more
Employers in the hospitality industry have been through it all in recent years – from the devastation of the pandemic to ongoing labor shortages to an impending recession. These challenges and dramatic changes have surely...more
1/19/2023
/ Bonuses ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Managers ,
Over-Time ,
Rate of Pay ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Salaried Employees ,
Service Charges ,
Supervisors ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
Wage and Hour