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Wages & Hours

22 states already surpass federal minimum wage

03/04/2014
For all the recent talk about raising the national minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, it’s worth noting that 22 states already require pay higher than the current federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

Make sure handbook includes rules on off-the-clock work, missed break time

02/26/2014
With strong policies, employees (and their lawyers) will find it much harder to mount class-action wage-and-hour lawsuits. That’s because employees have to show that a common policy or practice was responsible for wage-and-hour violations.

Cover employee expenses–or prepare for court

02/26/2014

Now is a good time to make sure your employees are being properly reimbursed for expenses they incur while performing their jobs. The problem: If they aren’t reimbursed for those expenses, their pay may fall below minimum wage. And if that’s the case, they can quit and sue, alleging constructive discharge.

3% raises to remain the norm in 2014

02/25/2014
Base pay increases for 2014 will remain at 3% for the second year in a row—roughly one percentage point below pre-recession levels, according to Buck Consultants’ seventh annual Compensation Planning Survey.

N.Y. wage-and-hour news you can use: annual notices & tax credits

02/18/2014
Now that 2014 is in full swing, it’s time to make sure your organization is up to speed on new wage-and-hour obligations and prepare to take advantage of a new tax incentive for hiring student workers.

WHD rolls two sushi restaurants for OT violations

02/18/2014
Two Nassau County sushi restaurants will pay $261,887 in back wages and liquidated damages to 70 workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

Obama: Higher minimum for fed contractors’ employees

02/18/2014
President Obama plans to issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay employees at least $10.10 per hour, starting in 2015.

When is it OK to punish by docking pay?

02/13/2014
Q. May I dock an employee’s pay as a penalty for disciplinary infractions?

Is there any hidden obligation to give raises?

02/11/2014
Q. Does any law require a company to give employees a raise at the end of the year or other amount of time?

Employers dropping internships to avoid liability

02/10/2014
Fallout from the landmark “Black Swan” court ruling in 2012 is being felt in workplaces across the country. More employers are dropping their internship programs after a federal court said Fox Searchlight must pay its unpaid interns at least minimum wage.