For the past few months, we have been keeping a very safe distance from each other: thousands of miles. However, as more businesses reopen across the country, we realize it is time to come together (virtually) to discuss an...more
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
Turkeys weren't the only things stuffed in November – there was a gut-busting amount of late-year legislative, regulatory and case law developments at the federal, state, and local levels concerning the minimum wage, tips,...more
12/5/2019
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Fluctuating Workweek ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
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
You don't need to be an Earth, Wind, and Fire fan to realize September had all the elements necessary to make for a memorable month of developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
10/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
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
It was a busy third month of 2019, so we will march right into discussing developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
4/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Orders ,
White-Collar Exemptions
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
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
DOL Previews its Costume (Regulatory Agenda Update): The U.S. Department of Labor released its fall regulatory agenda, in which it discussed proposed rulemaking activities the Wage & Hour Division plans to undertake...more
11/1/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Joint Employers ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Although the U.S. Department of Labor may steal the show in terms of August developments involving the minimum wage, tips, and overtime, states are by no means singing backup. State labor departments on opposite sides of the...more
9/4/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Usually legislative and regulatory developments slow down in the summer months, which is good news because July brings more pressing matters than reading bills or proposed rules, like eating too many hot dogs or yelling at an...more
8/1/2018
/ Appeals ,
Ballot Measures ,
CA Supreme Court ,
De Minimis Claims ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Field Operations Manual ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Out-of-State Companies ,
Over-Time ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
With the World Cup in full swing, it’s difficult to fathom anything else occurring—yet minimum wage, tip, and overtime developments keep happening. Here’s our quick round-up for those of you taking a break from the on-field...more
6/29/2018
/ Denial of Certiorari ,
Food Service Workers ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
It may not have been showering minimum wage, tip, and overtime developments in April, but there was a sprinkling at the federal, state, and local levels. ...more
5/1/2018
/ Car Dealerships ,
Collective Actions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Electronic Reporting ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Wage ,
Navarro v Encino Motorcars ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
SCOTUS ,
Service Advisors ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tipped Employees ,
Travel Time ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
2018 may have barely begun, but minimum wage and overtime activity at the local, state – and even federal – levels is well underway. Settle in – we’ve got a lot to cover....more
2/1/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Car Dealerships ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Navarro v Encino Motorcars ,
New Legislation ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
SCOTUS ,
Service Advisors ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
September may mean saying goodbye to summer, but minimum wage and overtime developments across the country are still going strong. A nominee to lead federal wage and hour enforcement efforts has been put forward, labor...more
10/2/2017
/ Administrative Appointments ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Field Operations Manual ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
State and Local Government ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Although the lazy days of summer may be grinding to a halt, August minimum wage and overtime developments showed no signs of a slow-down. Democrats continue to try to impress upon the electorate labor and employment-related...more
It’s summertime, but the living is anything but easy for employers trying to track minimum wage and overtime developments. The U.S. Department of Labor is defending legal challenges to various rules the Obama administration...more
8/1/2017
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Joint Employers ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Pending Legislation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Summer is upon us and the heat – from both a temperature and legislative perspective – is on. As employers across the county await action from federal labor officials concerning the currently-enjoined white collar salary...more
7/5/2017
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Pending Legislation ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Just under halfway through 2017, minimum wage and overtime developments have shifted into overdrive. Proposals submitted by federal legislators from both sides of the aisle highlight the different approaches the country’s...more
6/1/2017
/ Ballot Measures ,
Baseball ,
Compensatory Time Off ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Wage ,
MLB ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The madness of March may be behind us, but April is no joke when it comes to minimum wage and overtime updates. Developments at the federal, state, and local levels could affect employer operations in the near or distant...more
5/1/2017
/ Ballot Measures ,
Employee Benefits ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
The year’s shortest month contains a long list of minimum wage and overtime developments. Though to date in 2017 a minimum wage proposal has yet to pass a single state house, and measures in Mississippi, North Dakota,...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the final rule revising the “white collar” overtime exemption regulations on May 18, 2016. This publication was the result of a process that began in March 2014 when President...more
On July 6, 2015, the proposed rule issued by the Department of Labor to revise the “white collar” overtime exemptions was published in the Federal Register, available here. The DOL has established a 60-day period for the...more