Many industries and businesses are seasonal and I have been often approached with a client question to the effect of whether the client can change the exempt status of workers, depending on the season. This occurs, for example, in the case of an employee who is the Head Coach of an athletic team for a
New DOL Proposed Rule on Fluctuating Work Week Is a Keeper!
I like how the USDOL is moving along with proposals and plans that assist employers in running their businesses, compensating their employees fairly, and, importantly, not running afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The agency has now proposed a rule that would allow employers to use the so-called “fluctuating workweek” formula for overtime
USDOL Raking It in for Underpaid Employees: Is This the Promised Positive Change Towards Business?
There has been a lot of talk about how much more pro-business the U.S. Department of Labor was going to be under this Administration. Well, appearances can be deceiving, as a report has just come out indicating that the agency collected in excess of $322 million last year for workers who did not receive proper
Another Federal Appellate Court Rules That FLSA Applies to Cannabis Industry
The truth is that cannabis has now become (and continues to become) big business and the issue of regulation, much, none or in the middle, is now coming to the forefront in legal circles. Many firms (my own included) have cannabis practice groups and are advising companies in this burgeoning field about the rules of
Nationwide FLSA Class Action Fails Because Out-of-State Plaintiffs Are Not Sufficiently Connected to State Where Lawsuit Filed: A New Defendant Strategy Pays Off!
Many times, plaintiff lawyers will try to file FLSA class actions as nationwide lawsuits so the size of the class and potential recovery can be magnified geometrically. Well, that just got a little harder to do as a federal judge rejected an attempt by a group of Outback Steakhouse front-of-house managers to continue as a
New White Collar Exemption Salary Rises to $35,000 Per Year: Much Ado About Nothing?
It has finally happened! The USDOL has announced that it is setting the new exempt salary threshold for the “white collar” exemptions at about $35,000, about $700 per week. The exact salary is $35,368 annually. This is far lower than the Obama-proposed $47,000 per annum, almost $900 per week. The new salary level takes take
Plaintiff Attorney Fees in FLSA Cases: The Frustrating, Driving Force in These Cases
I read a very interesting article in the Epstein Becker Wage & Hour Defense Blog, whose sentiments I wholeheartedly agree with. It concerns the issue of attorney fees for plaintiff lawyers in FLSA/wage cases. The blog post notes that often, these lawyers get big dollar fee awards, while the allegedly victimized people they represent get
Third Circuit Examines FLSA ‘Willfulness’ Standard: ‘Reckless’ vs. ‘Egregious’
The issue of willfulness is very important in FLSA cases because such a finding extends the statute of limitations from two years to three. The standards utilized in making these decisions have been established but their application to particular situations often is difficult. A recent example of this tenet has just emerged in a case
New USDOL Secretary Will Be Big Booster of Business: Here Comes Deregulation
It seems that with the resignation of Secretary Acosta there is going to be a decidedly more pro-business posture for the agency. This is because Patrick Pizzella, who will take over, has let it be known that he will be “hitting the gas” according to Paul DeCamp.
The business community sought (and expected) a great
Democrats Now Want White Collar Exemption Salary Level to Be Much Higher
I blogged last week about the back and forth on the new USDOL proposed salary threshold for exempt status, at approximately $35,000 per year. Well, the Democrats have now spoken on the issue and they propose raising the threshold to approximately $51,000 per year. Another great divide.
The proposed law is entitled the Restoring Overtime