Taking note of employer concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released some preliminary guidance on its new PAID program, a six-month pilot initative intended to quickly resolve accidental wage and hour violations outside of the courtroom and help employers improve pay practices to avoid similar mistakes in the future. In a question-and-answer format, Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued final regulations implementing the provisions of Executive Order 13658 that raises the minimum wage federal contractors are required to pay workers on covered contracts. Specifically, the Executive Order: raises the minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts to $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, Read more
Even though President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law back in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act is just as monumental for workers today as it was back then. How does it help you? The FLSA sets standards that make workplaces safer and healthier. In fact, this Act is responsible for many of the Read more
For years, the Department of Labor has been arguing with various restaurant associations over whether or not it’s fair for restaurant owners to share waiters’ tips with people who work in the kitchen. Now, the restaurant associations are taking the fight to court. Right now, Department of Labor regulations prohibit “back-of-the-house” employees (like the kitchen Read more
The laws have been around for years, but the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hour and Wage Division has just started a new initiative aimed at making sure that Southern California’s landscaping workers are treated fairly. Unfortunately, many landscaping companies violate the minimum wage, overtime, and record-keeping portions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In Read more
If U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has his way, America’s minimum wage workers will soon get a raise. The Chicago Democrat has written a bill that would increase the federal minimum wage rate to $10 per hour. According to Jackson, he will formally introduce the bill on Wednesday. America’s federal minimum wage rate has sat Read more
Minimum wage is always an interesting topic — since there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it! Some states raise their minimum wage rates every year like clockwork, while other states never budge. And as for that federal minimum wage rate, it has come a long way since it was first created in Read more
