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Wages & Hours

Federal contractors: Make sure you’re paying prevailing wages

10/01/2006

A recent U.S. Labor Department action shows how aggressively the federal government is going after employers who don’t follow the letter and spirit of the Service Contract Act. The law requires employers that perform services on federal contracts to pay service employees no less than the wages and benefits prevailing in the locality …

Jiffy Lube managers win back pay in overtime case

10/01/2006

Heartland Automotive Services agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by 239 Jiffy Lube managers. They alleged the company denied them overtime, violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state overtime laws …

Attorneys’ Fees Added to Award in Wage-Collection Case

10/01/2006

The Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collections Law, the state law that requires you to pay workers on time, also says you must pay employees’ legal fees when you violate the law …

Gear up for minimum wage hike: Notify workers, check budget

10/01/2006

Make sure you’re ready for the state’s minimum wage increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2007, and will affect about 430,000 Pennsylvania workers …

Executive exemption requires true hiring/firing authority

10/01/2006

Before you classify supervisors as exempt executive employees, make sure you’ve given them enough authority to make that classification stick. That means delegating true hiring/firing power with the clear understanding that your organization will typically follow the supervisors’ recommendations …

Labor Department deploys extra investigators in Katrina-Recovery area to stop wage violations

10/01/2006

To ensure that employees working on Katrina recovery projects are paid according to the law, the U.S. Labor Department has sued a Houston drywall company for Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations …

Supreme Court preview: More pay-Bias lawsuits coming?

10/01/2006

When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term on Oct. 2, look for a clear theme to the employment-related cases it has chosen to address: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 …

Commute isn’t on the clock, Even 100+ miles

10/01/2006

Q. Should we pay for travel time if the employee’s drive from home to the first job site is a very long distance (example: Los Angeles to San Diego)? —L.S., California

No comp time for private firms; Flex time is OK

10/01/2006

Q. Can you please clarify if and when we can offer comp time to our employees? I’m confused. —S.L., West Virginia

‘Cool’ music company creates transition plan for new moms

09/01/2006

Detroit-based music company, Handleman Co., hosts impromptu concerts in the lobby and gives free CDs to employees. Such perks landed the firm on a list of 60 "Cool Places to Work" in Michigan. But cool wasn’t cutting it for the company’s working moms, who wanted more flexibility after having babies …