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FLSA

Before stiffing workers, ask: Do I look good in orange?

01/14/2010

Here’s an important lesson for employers: Judges don’t want to hear any excuses from employers that fail to pay back wages when ordered to do so. In fact, they’re perfectly willing to throw you in the slammer if you do. Example: Recently, the owners of a cleaning service were jailed when they didn’t make court-ordered payments of back wages owed to 385 workers.

Settlement nets more OT pay, vacation for Oakland cops

01/14/2010

The Oakland City Council has tentatively approved a proposed settlement of a wage-and-hour lawsuit claiming city police officers were not correctly paid overtime and were not paid for off-the-clock work.

Workers in early to fire up computers? Pay ’em

01/13/2010

If employers tell their employees to show up a little early in order to start their computers and get themselves ready to work, that time should be compensated. That’s true even if the employer doesn’t absolutely demand early arrival, but internal systems make it tough for employees to begin their shifts if they don’t arrive early.

Can I get online answers to pay questions?

01/11/2010

Q. Can you steer me toward any online information about how to correctly pay employees’ wages?

Independent judgment often key to exempt status

01/11/2010

Smart employers make sure that employees classified under the administrative exemption have the authority to make independent decisions.

Oil rig builder will pay $400K in back wages, OT

01/07/2010

Rife Industrial Marine, a Nederland company that builds oil rigs, has agreed to pay $401,355 in back wages to 567 welders and laborers engaged in offshore construction. A DOL investigation found that the company incorrectly classified some pay as reimbursements for employee travel expenses and failed to pay overtime on those wages.

Scotland petro firm docked for stiffing Texas workers

01/07/2010

A British company recently agreed to pay about $400,000 in back overtime pay for violating Texas labor laws. Nearly 500 contracted construction and technical workers and engineers working for the American branch of Scotland-based RBG Limited accused the company of improperly compensating them under both federal and state laws.

Can we buy pizza and soda to pay workers for a missed lunch break due to a heavy workload?

01/07/2010

Q. Occasionally, when we receive a big order, our nonexempt employees have to work through their lunch breaks. Although we do not pay them for this work, we buy pizzas and sodas for all the affected workers. Is this lawful?

Closing early due to snow: Must we pay for full day?

01/05/2010

Q. During inclement weather, we sometimes close the office early and send employees home. Do we have to pay them for the whole day?

2009 in labor and employment law, from A to Z

01/05/2010

Our friends at the law firm of Fisher & Phillips LLP recently published this entertaining look at the employment law year that was. From A (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) to Z (zealously), 2009 was a busy year for those who track employment law trends.