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FLSA

Follow 4 tips to comply with FLSA’s overtime regulations

03/27/2012
The FLSA sets strict rules for how you pay employees, including who can earn overtime pay and how much it must be. Fail to follow them and you could wind up on the losing end of a lawsuit, potentially liable for millions of dollars. Make sure your organization establishes practices and procedures that prevent overtime mistakes. Four important tips:

After Wal-Mart, Illinois court & 7th Circuit uphold class certification

03/22/2012
Class-action litigation returned to the spotlight with last year’s Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes. In Wal-Mart v. Dukes, the Supreme Court refused to certify what would have been the largest-ever employment class action against a private employer. Now the 7th Circuit has weighed in.

Small amount at stake in employee suit? Know when it’s best to consider settling

03/22/2012

Sometimes, it’s better to settle than to fight. If a case is pretty clear and the potential liability small, it makes sense to pony up the settlement money. Otherwise, a court may punish bullheadedness with a large award for attorneys’ fees.

How to make ‘no unauthorized OT’ policy work

03/22/2012
The first step to controlling overtime costs is to establish a sound policy forbidding unauthorized extra work for hourly employees. But a “no unauthorized overtime” policy is just the beginning. It’s what you do after implementing the policy that counts.

Interns fighting back: Must you pay them?

03/22/2012
A handful of high-profile legal disputes are shining a bright light on an often-ignored issue: Should employers be required to pay interns at least the minimum wage?

Roads closed due to emergency: Still pay staff?

03/20/2012
Q. During snowstorms and floods, the government sometimes declares a state of emergency in certain counties. No one is permitted to be on roads except essential employees and emergency vehicles. Do we have to pay employees who can’t come to work because of the restrictions?

What are the criteria for unpaid internships?

03/14/2012
Q. We would like to hire a few college interns over the summer, but with our tight budget, I don’t think we can pay them. What rules apply to unpaid internships?

Flat rate leads to lump-sum settlement

03/14/2012
A federal court has ordered Roseville-based Aspen Nursing Services to pay more than $210,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 22 employees in Kentucky and Ohio.

Shocker: Class-action case doesn’t break the bank

03/14/2012
Not every collective or class-action case has to blow up into a multimillion-dollar nightmare. Instead, some judges are approving more modest settlements, if this case is any indication.

Which of these HR issues causes the biggest problems in your organization?

03/13/2012
The day-to-day squabbles of the working world cause the biggest problems for most HR pros.