Demonstrating that guidance on the newly mandated Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave is fluid, on April 6, 2020, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) published new regulations as a “temporary rule” expanding on and tinkering with its prior guidance under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new rule became effective … Continue Reading
Category Archives: Wage & Hour
Subscribe to Wage & Hour RSS FeedPaycheck Protection Program Open for Business
Small businesses can begin applying for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program today, April 3, 2020, but should keep in mind that under new interim guidance, 75% of the forgiven amount over the eight week period following origination of the loan must be used for payroll purposes. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals can apply starting April 10, 2020. … Continue Reading
Relief for Employers in the CARES Act
The Federal Corona Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), approved Friday in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, provides businesses with a myriad of opportunities for relief, including expansion of unemployment benefits, advance refunding of tax credits for employers that provide expanded FMLA leave and emergency paid sick leave, small business loan programs, debt forgiveness, and more. Summaries of the … Continue Reading
Cracking Down on Employers Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors
New Jersey has joined California and New York City by adding significant new penalties and requirements on employers doing business in the Garden State, including new penalties for misclassifying workers as independent contractors and new posting requirements effective April 1, 2020. Illinois, New York, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, and Florida considered various forms of legislation on worker misclassification in 2019, and … Continue Reading
New Unemployment Obligations for Georgia Employers
Employers faced with layoffs and furloughs need to pay close attention to state unemployment laws, which are in flux and in some instances may impose extraordinary burdens on employers. For example, Georgia has extended unemployment benefits and now requires employers to file for benefits on behalf some employees impacted by COVID-19 as a result of certain changes to state unemployment … Continue Reading
Department of Labor Issues FFCRA Guidance, Poster
A flurry of publications from the United States Department of Labor (DOL) provide employers with additional details regarding the recently-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Q&A guidance issued March 24 establishes an April 1, 2020 effective date and explains how to calculate the 500-employee threshold and hours used to determine employees’ leave entitlement. A March 24 Wage and Hour … Continue Reading
Notice Requirements When Furloughing Or Laying Off Workers in the Pandemic
Employers contemplating layoffs or furloughs of employees as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak need to be careful. Even if they are not subject to the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act), they may be obligated to provide various notices under state “mini-WARN” acts or other state laws.
Below is a quick overview of how these federal … Continue Reading
Paid Sick Time and FMLA Expansion Law Passes
Employers with fewer than 500 employees will be required to provide paid leave to certain employees impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and will receive a tax credit in return, under a new law approved by the Senate and signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020. These measures are set to take effect no later than April 2, 2020.
The … Continue Reading
Rocky Mountain Employers: Brace for Sweeping Changes to Compensation and Minimum Wage Laws
Employers operating in the Rocky Mountain region need to pay close attention to the 2020 Administrative Order issued by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) mandating broad changes to employee compensation and rights. It is different than similar orders issued previously, and makes significant changes to wage and hour laws in Colorado. CDLE recently adopted the Colorado Overtime … Continue Reading
New Sick Leave Entitlements for Quarantined NY Employees and More Coming
Immediate pay and job protection for New Yorkers quarantined as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) , as well as comprehensive paid sick leave that will impact all employers within six months, will be enacted imminently into law, Governor Cuomo of New York has announced.
Originally designed as one bill, New York lawmakers and the Governor reached agreement on the … Continue Reading
NLRB Issues Joint Employer Final Rule
Right on the heels of the Department of Labor (DOL) issuing a new joint employer liability test under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued its own employer-friendly final rule for determining joint employer liability under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRB’s final rule is scheduled to become effective April 27, 2020.… Continue Reading
Employers Receive Guidance in DOL Final Joint Employer Rule
Effective March 16, 2020, employers will be able to use a four-factor balancing test in determining joint employment status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), based on the new final rule adopted by the Department of Labor (DOL).
The joint employer final rule is the first restatement of the DOL’s joint employer regulations in more than 50 years, and … Continue Reading
California’s Arbitration Agreement Ban on Hold
A controversial California law that would have prevented employers from requiring arbitration agreements as a condition of employment has been enjoined from taking effect by a federal district judge. Assembly Bill 51 (AB 51) was set to take effect last month, but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation, National Association of Security Companies, and several other trade organizations, … Continue Reading
Department of Labor Opinion Letters Provide Employers a Roadmap to FLSA Compliance
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued two new opinion letters which clarify how employers should calculate the overtime rate when employees are paid lump-sum bonuses and when employers can pay consultants on a per project basis while avoiding overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). While DOL Opinion Letters are not … Continue Reading
Just In Time For Holiday Bonuses: Proposed New Guidance On “Fixed Salary”
Employers who compensate non-exempt employees based on the “fluctuating work week” method, take note. Last month, the Department of Labor issued a proposed rule that would permit employers to supplement the salaries of such employees with additional non-overtime payments, such as bonuses and other incentive pay. This is great news for employers and employees, and here is why.… Continue Reading
New York City Expands Independent Contractor Rights Amidst a Budding National Trend
Last month, New York City joined an emerging national trend toward increased protections for independent contractors and freelance workers, adopting a new law, Int. 136-A, extending to independent contractors and freelancers the protections afforded to employees under the city’s Human Rights Law (NYCHRL).
Effective January 11, 2020, the NYCHRL will apply to employers that employ four or more persons – … Continue Reading
Hot Tip: End May Be Near for 80/20 Rule!
Employers in the hospitality and restaurant industry are poised for celebration: the Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed eliminating a rule that requires tracking the time tipped employees devote to non-tip producing activities when counting employees’ tips toward the employer’s minimum wage obligations. The DOL has taken the position that employers cannot claim a tip credit if a tipped employee … Continue Reading
Department of Labor Final Rule Increases Salary Threshold for Exempt Employees
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its long-awaited Final Rule stating that all employees who make less than $684 a week, or $35,568 per year, must earn overtime pay. This new requirement replaces the current threshold of $465 per week, or $23,660 per year, set in 2004. This increase in the standard salary level requires an immediate review of … Continue Reading
Deadline Approaches for Submitting New Pay and Hours Data
The EEOC portal is now open and employers who had 100 or more employees in 2017 or 2018 have until September 30, 2019 to submit the earnings and hours data required by the new Component 2 part of the EEO-1 form. As we have previously reported here the EEO-1 form was revised to require employers with 100 or more employees … Continue Reading
Avalanche of New Laws Create Additional Requirements for Illinois Employers
Illinois employers must be cognizant of new Illinois laws including bans on salary history inquiries, restrictions on artificial intelligence interview programs, mandatory sexual harassment prevention training, limitations on non-disclosure and arbitration provisions, increasing minimum wage, implications of the new cannabis law and, within the City of Chicago, predictive scheduling.
Workplace Transparency Act (WTA)
Effective January 1, 2020
The WTA’s purpose … Continue Reading
DOL Issues Guidance on Payroll Rounding, Overtime Calculations, and Certain Paralegals
Employers looking for guidance on payroll rounding practices, classification of certain highly compensated paralegals and calculating overtime where employees receive non-discretionary bonuses will be glad to know the Department of Labor has issued three new Opinion Letters on those subjects. DOL Opinion Letters are issued by the Wage and Hour Division of the DOL and offer insight into the DOL’s … Continue Reading
PEOs, Staffing Companies: Watch Proposed New Joint Employer Rule
Professional Employer Organizations, franchisors, business advisors, and staffing agencies should take a close look at their contracts if the Department of Labor’s proposed new standard for what constitutes a joint employer becomes final. The proposed rule implements a new four-factor test to evaluate whether a joint employer relationship exists.
The DOL’s proposed rule reflects the new administration’s narrower perspective of … Continue Reading
Employers Beware: Wage Theft Soon to be a Felony in Colorado and Minnesota
Recent legislation in Colorado and Minnesota imposes harsh criminal penalties—including potential felony convictions—for the failure to pay wages. To limit their exposure under these strict new laws, employers with operations in either state should familiarize themselves with these upcoming changes.
Colorado Increases Criminal Penalties under the Wage Claim Act
On May 16, 2019, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed HB 19-1267, … Continue Reading
DOL and NLRB Agree: Gig Economy Workers Are Contractors, Not Employees
According to recent guidance issued by the DOL and NLRB, workers in the so-called “gig,” “on-demand,” or “sharing” economy are independent contractors, not employees. This represents a significant departure from Obama-era policy and is expected to have significant consequences for both employers and workers in that sector.… Continue Reading
