The District of Columbia’s Tipped Wage Workers Fairness Amendment Act (TWWFAA) continues to be a big talking point for the hospitality industry. Among other things, the TWWFAA requires D.C. employers that employ a tip credit...more
The District of Columbia will soon join an ever-growing list of jurisdictions that require employers to disclose compensation on job postings. In addition to pay scale disclosure, the District of Columbia Wage Transparency...more
1/17/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Reform ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Pay Transparency ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Screening Procedures ,
Wage and Hour
As a funding deal continues to remain out of reach, and with the September 30th fiscal deadline rapidly approaching, a government shutdown appears close to certain. Whether it lasts for days, weeks, or months, a shutdown...more
The District of Columbia continues to implement broad employment initiatives, ranging from wage and hour laws to stricter civil penalties. The following is a rundown of key developments for employers to keep an eye on as we...more
5/8/2023
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Enforcement Authority ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Attorneys General ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
On November 8, 2022, Washington D.C. voters overwhelmingly passed Initiative 82 or the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act.” As a result, the tip credit for D.C. tipped wage workers will be gradually phased out...more
11/21/2022
/ Ballot Measures ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
In 2018, the District of Columbia enacted the Tipped Wage Workers Fairness Amendment Act (“the Act”). Among other things, the Act imposes obligations on employers that employ tipped employees, including significant training...more
10/3/2022
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Food Service Workers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
I. The State of the U.S. Workforce -
In the early months of the pandemic, jobs declined by a staggering 22.2 million. The good news is that jobs recovery has been on the rise since February 2020. In July, the number of...more
Due to a surplus in the District of Columbia’s Universal Paid Leave Fund, the number of weeks of paid leave available to eligible employees in the District of Columbia pursuant to the Universal Paid Leave Act (UPLA) will...more
On April 9, 2022, the Maryland legislature voted to override Governor Lawrence J. Hogan’s veto of the Time to Care Act of 2022 (SB 275/HB8), passing it by a 30-16 vote in the Senate and by a 94-44 vote in the House. Maryland...more
The District of Columbia Council has passed several pieces of legislation that impose significant obligations on D.C. employers, particularly those in the hospitality industry. Below are summaries of recent laws passed in...more
Minimum wage laws can affect businesses of all sizes, whether operating nationwide, in multiple jurisdictions, or only in one state, county, or city. To help manage this challenge, below we provide a rates-only update that...more
Maryland Governor Hogan moved the state into Stage Three of its reopening plan on September 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in Order 20-09-01-01. This move permits practically all Maryland businesses to open, including theaters. ...more
9/10/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Seating ,
Workplace Safety
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District would move into Phase Two of its reopening plan on June 22, 2020. Maryland has also expanded Stage Two of its reopening plan....more
7/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
As the world slowly returns to some semblance of normalcy, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia recently announced varying plans as to when they will reopen and what reopening will look like. Virginia previously...more
Hey, do you want to read an article not about COVID-19? Well, you are in luck, because in this virus-free issue of Wage Watch, we discuss only developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime that occurred in the...more
3/9/2020
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Franchises ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
If January's minimum wage, tip, and overtime developments forecast what employers should expect throughout the remainder of the year, it could be a challenging 2020....more
2/5/2020
/ Comment Period ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Franchises ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Job Duties ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Rate of Pay ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
We remember when legislative and regulatory developments rarely occurred in December, but those days are behind us.
A Reminder About New Year's Eve & New Year's Day Rate Increases: Many minimum wage, tipped and exempt...more
1/2/2020
/ Appeals ,
Comment Period ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Consumer Price Index ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lack of Jurisdiction ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Perks ,
Preemption ,
Rate of Pay ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Wages ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Minimum wage laws can affect businesses of all sizes, whether operating nationwide, in multiple jurisdictions, or only in one state, county, or city. To help manage this challenge, below we provide a rates-only update that...more
11/13/2019
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Rate of Pay ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Though in August summer is almost over and fall is just about upon us, federal, state, and local developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime transcend the seasons.
...more
While most parts of the country were heating up in July, developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime were cooling off. Many state legislatures have adjourned or are in recess, leaving it mainly to federal...more
Status of U.S. Department of Labor Rules: May 21, 2019 was the deadline to submit public comment concerning the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rules governing the minimum salary or fee amount employees must receive...more
In February, love was not the only thing in the air; wafting through legislative chambers across the country was the sweet smell of bills about the minimum wage, tips, and overtime. Many bills will be stood up, or ultimately...more
2/28/2019
/ 20% Rule ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Internships ,
Job Duties ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Standards ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
2019 marks the start of Wage Watch’s third year of publication, which we will celebrate the only way we (sadly) know how: by recapping federal, state, and local developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
2/1/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Time on 2018 has just about run out, so without delay, here are the developments impacting the minimum wage, tips, and overtime that occurred in 2018’s final month....more
1/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Opinion Letter ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
The dishes are done, the leftovers are gone, and you are back at work. Were new laws enacted while you were conked out in a tryptophan-induced nap? Keep reading for all the November updates about the minimum wage, tips, and...more
12/3/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Payroll Audit Independent Determination program (PAID) ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions