Wages & Hours

Bill would cut federal income tax on overtime wages

05/19/2025

Republican legislators in the House of Representatives and Senate have introduced the Overtime Wages Tax Relief Act, which would allow employees to deduct up to $10,000 in overtime pay from their federal income taxes.

Beware unintended consequences of sharing pay info

05/09/2025

It’s increasingly difficult for employers to keep employees from finding out how much their co-workers are paid. However, a new study shows the unintended consequences when employers tell employees where they stand on pay.

Great expectations: Class of ‘25 soon to confront a real pay gap

05/05/2025

A ZipRecruiter survey of 3,000 soon-to-graduate students found that on average, they expected to command an annual pre-tax salary of $101,500. Needless to say, that’s wildly optimistic.

Stop unauthorized work by remote employees

05/02/2025

If you have employees who work remotely at least some of the time, you know how difficult it is to track exactly what they are doing and when they’re doing it. That can be bad news if those employees are nonexempt. They must be paid for all work they perform—whether you knew they were working or not. The good news is that you can set up systems that prevent unauthorized telework.

The new pay gap: Employees fret about pay even as employers hold steady

04/28/2025

Amid recent tariffs and economic policy shifts, a disconnect has emerged. According to a new Willis Towers Watson survey, 56% of employers say their workers are worried about their future pay raises. But three-fourths of employers say they don’t anticipate any changes to their pay scales or salary budget plans because of large-scale economic pressures.

Gender pay gap narrows to 85%

03/24/2025

The pay gap between women and men is shrinking—slightly—according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center.

Pay-equity audit? Be prepared to show your work

03/07/2025

To avoid litigation, many employers conduct internal audits to ensure pay equity when employees perform substantially identical work. If you decide to run a pay-equity audit, be prepared to show exactly how you conducted it.

Court says DOL can use salary level to determine exempt classification

03/03/2025

The Biden administration’s bid last year to raise the white-collar overtime salary threshold from $35,568 per year to $58,656 is dead, the victim of a series of court rulings that said the Department of Labor overstepped its authority by mandating such a big jump. However, one aspect of the OT threshold process stands.

Beware potential huge cost of small wage-and-hour mistakes

02/21/2025

When employers don’t understand wage-and-hour laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act—or worse, when they try to circumvent that law—they can find themselves on the hook for potentially costly penalties. Even relatively small violations can quickly add up.

Obey state & local wage-and-hour laws in addition to the federal FLSA

02/10/2025

Many states and municipalities have wage-and-hour laws that go beyond the mandates of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA sets the floor for wage-and-hour rules, but states and cities are free to set standards that are more generous to employees.