Wage & Hour

  • April 18, 2024

    Calif. Grocery Stores Pay $472K For OT Violations

    Three California grocery stores paid more than $472,000 in back wages, damages and fines for denying 60 workers their overtime wages, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday.

  • April 18, 2024

    Building Groups Say They Can Fight Prevailing Wage Rule

    Several construction trade groups told a Texas federal judge that they don't need to point to specific members to support their argument that a U.S. Department of Labor final rule regulating prevailing wages will hurt them, urging the court to keep alive their suit challenging the rule.

  • April 18, 2024

    NY Appeals Court Revives AI Firm CLO's Claim For Pay

    In a significant ruling for executives and professionals, a New York state appeals court has reversed the dismissal of key claims in a former chief legal officer's lawsuit alleging he wasn't paid all wages owed after his employment ended at artificial intelligence company Amelia US LLC.

  • April 18, 2024

    Saladworks Operator Misclassified Asst. Managers, Suit Says

    A Pennsylvania-based franchisee of fast-casual salad eatery Saladworks misclassified its assistant managers as overtime-exempt even though they should have earned time-and-a-half wages for overtime hours, a former manager alleged in a proposed collective action filed in federal court Thursday.

  • April 18, 2024

    Buffalo Wild Wings Owes Pay For OT Work, Server Says

    Buffalo Wild Wings has not been paying its hourly employees overtime wages for time they spent working off the clock and didn't reimburse them for business expenses or allow them to take breaks, a server alleged in a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • April 18, 2024

    US Chamber, Groups Seek Win In DOL Contractor Rule Spat

    The U.S. Department of Labor acted illegally when it nixed a Trump-era rule determining workers' independent contractor status and issued a new rule, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a slew of trade groups told a Texas federal court.

  • April 17, 2024

    Colo. Labor Dept. Says Amazon's Holiday Pay Must Be In OT

    The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment told the state Supreme Court that Amazon's holiday incentive pay is similar to shift differentials, backing warehouse workers' arguments that the pay should have been included in their overtime compensation.

  • April 17, 2024

    Drivers, Transport Cos.' $700K Wage Deal Nabs Initial OK

    A California federal judge placed the initial stamp of approval on a revised $700,000 settlement between a class of truck drivers, an agricultural product transportation company and labor contractor ending a wage lawsuit, saying the updated deal is an adequate resolution.

  • April 17, 2024

    Yacht Repair Co.'s Late Arguments Can't Save It From OT Suit

    A yacht repair company owes more than $55,000 in overtime and damages to a former employee, a Florida federal judge ruled, rejecting the company's Hail Mary argument that the worker was exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • April 17, 2024

    Airplane Servicers Nod to Justices, Reiterate That Fueling Isn't Interstate Work

    Two companies that service airplanes alerted the Ninth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision regarding the applicability of a worker exemption from the Federal Arbitration Act, saying the high court's ruling supports their contention that fuel pumping is not interstate work that would trigger the carveout.

  • April 17, 2024

    NJ Landscaping Co. Pays $255K For OT Violations

    A New Jersey landscaping company paid nearly $255,000 in back wages and damages for denying 20 workers their overtime wages, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.

  • April 17, 2024

    NLRB Says Co. Violated Labor Law With Wage Suit Questions

    A chemical manufacturer illegally questioned an employee about his conversations with co-workers and union stewards linked to a wage and hour lawsuit, the National Labor Relations Board concluded, upholding an agency judge's decision about the workers' confidentiality interests.

  • April 17, 2024

    Ogletree Expands Into Western NY With Ex-Goldberg Atty

    Management-side employment firm Ogletree Deakins is expanding into western New York, announcing Tuesday that it is adding a shareholder in Buffalo from Goldberg Segalla.

  • April 17, 2024

    Bright Line On Arbitration Seen As Risk To Workers' Rights

    A Ninth Circuit ruling that companies cannot qualify for a federal arbitration exemption is a surprising bright line that may curtail workers' wage rights in the future, experts say.

  • April 17, 2024

    Discovery In $500M Severance Fight Against X, Musk Will Wait

    A California federal judge paused discovery in a suit claiming X, formerly Twitter, owes $500 million in severance to the workers the company laid off after Elon Musk's takeover, saying the court should wait to sort out the company's dismissal bid.

  • April 17, 2024

    Military IT Contractor Didn't Pay OT, Ex-Worker Says

    A Virginia-based technology company that contracts with the U.S. military has not been paying its hourly employees time-and-a-half overtime premiums even though they regularly work more than 60 hours a week, according to a proposed class action filed in federal court.

  • April 16, 2024

    Virtual Cashiers Can Help Cut Wage Costs But Risk Liability

    Virtual cashiers from overseas who are appearing on screens in a handful of New York-area restaurants can help employers reduce labor costs, but attorneys warn that the practice could lead to issues such as wage claims by in-store workers. Here, Law360 explores the issue.

  • April 16, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Rehear White Ex-Kroger Manager's Bias Case

    A former manager for Kroger will not get to argue his claims he was fired because he is a white man before the full Sixth Circuit, according to a new order, letting stand the appellate court's decision to dismiss the former manager's claims.

  • April 16, 2024

    Pot Transport Co. Can't Escape Overtime Suit

    A company specializing in secure transport of marijuana products didn't show that its drivers engage in interstate commerce and therefore can't escape a driver's misclassification suit seeking unpaid overtime, a Michigan federal judge has ruled.

  • April 16, 2024

    DoorDash, Fla. Driver Settle Classification Suit In Arbitration

    A DoorDash driver and the app-based food delivery service resolved in arbitration a suit originally filed in Florida federal court alleging the company misclassified workers as independent contractors, according to court papers.

  • April 16, 2024

    Construction Subcontractor Fined $34K After DOL Probe

    A federal construction subcontractor working on apartments in Washington, D.C., was fined more than $34,000 for misclassifying nine workers, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.

  • April 16, 2024

    Arbitration Pacts Leave Domino's Wage Suit Plaintiff-Less

    An expense reimbursement dispute against Domino's can't go forward because it will be without a named plaintiff, as the four drivers who were supposed to step in are all bound by arbitration agreements, a Michigan federal judge ruled Tuesday.

  • April 15, 2024

    Drivers Can't Avoid Uber's 'Road Not Taken' Position

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has ruled that the luxury car drivers who accused Uber Technologies Inc. of misclassifying them as independent contractors must respond to the company's renewed post-trial win bid, rejecting the drivers' argument that it was too long and filed too late.

  • April 15, 2024

    Jury Sides With Ala. City Education Board In Pay Bias Suit

    An Alabama federal jury rejected a former athletic director's gender bias suit alleging she was paid less than male colleagues and demoted by an Alabama school board, four months after the case was revived by the Eleventh Circuit.

  • April 15, 2024

    Versace Mansion Workers Lose Bid To Revive Wage Claims

    Workers at the former Versace Mansion can't revive their minimum wage claims because a service fee charge is not a discretionary tip and was lawfully used to top off the workers' base hourly pay, the Eleventh Circuit said Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Defending Employee Plaintiff Depositions

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    A plaintiff cannot win their employment case through a good deposition, but they can certainly lose it with a bad one, so an attorney should take steps to make sure the plaintiff does as little damage as possible to their claim, says Preston Satchell at LexisNexis.

  • Predictions On Salary Levels In Proposed DOL Overtime Rule

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    In May, the U.S. Department of Labor is expected to propose new salary thresholds for overtime exemptions for both executive, administrative and professional employees and highly compensated earners under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and based on methodologies used in recent DOL rules, it will likely increase both thresholds, says Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Whistleblowing Insights From 'Dahmer'

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    Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs at Troutman Pepper chat with DS Smith's Josh Burnette about how the show "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" provides an extreme example of the perils of ignoring repeat complaints — a lesson employers could apply in the whistleblower context.

  • Retail Employer Strategies For LA Fair Work Week Ordinance

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    The recently effective Los Angeles Fair Work Week Ordinance changes how employers in the retail trade industry approach scheduling and hiring employees, so they should consider creating new standardized forms and procedures to maintain compliance and avoid penalties, say Thomas Petrides and Charlie Wang at Vedder Price.

  • AI For Advancing Diversity In The Workplace: Friend Or Foe?

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    In the wake of calls for increased workplace diversity, employers are turning to artificial intelligence to automate hiring and cut costs to reach environmental, social and governance objectives, but this technology requires human oversight to minimize biases and discrimination, say Consuela Pinto and Dawn Siler-Nixon at FordHarrison.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Attendance Policies

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    Employee attendance problems are among the most common reasons for disciplinary action and discharge, which is why a clear policy neatly laid out in an employee handbook is necessary to articulate expectations for workers and support an employer's position should any attendance-related disputes arise, says Kara Shea at Butler Snow.

  • Noncompete Ban Is Key To Empowering Low-Wage Workers

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    The Federal Trade Commission's proposed ban on noncompete clauses is needed because limitations alone have very little practical value to low-wage workers, who will continue to be hurt by the mere existence of these clauses unless they are outlawed, says Brendan Lynch at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.

  • Top 5 Issues For Employers If Their Bank Suddenly Fails

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    The sudden closure of a bank can create a host of ripple effects, and if such a liquidity crisis occurs, employers should prioritize fulfilling their payroll obligations, as failing to do so could subject employers and even certain company personnel to substantial penalties, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Prepare Now To Comply With NJ Temp Worker Law

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    New Jersey temporary staffing firms and their clients must prepare now for the time-consuming compliance requirements created by the controversial new Temporary Laborers' Bill of Rights, or face steep penalties when the law's strict wage, benefit and record-keeping rules go live in May and August, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Employment-Related Litigation Risks Facing Hospitality Cos.

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    A close look at recent hospitality industry employment claims highlights key issues companies should keep an eye out for, and insurance policy considerations for managing risk related to wage and hour, privacy, and human trafficking claims, say Jan Larson and Huiyi Chen at Jenner & Block.

  • Acquiring A Company That Uses A Professional Employer Org.

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    With the professional employer organization industry rapidly expanding, those seeking to acquire a company that uses a PEO should understand there are several employment- and benefits-related complexities, especially in regard to retirement, health and welfare plans, say Megan Monson and Taryn Cannataro at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • What Could Lie Ahead For Prop 22 After Calif. Appellate Ruling

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    On the heels of a California appeals court’s recent decision to uphold Proposition 22 — which allows gig companies to classify workers as independent contractors — an analysis of related rulings and legislation over the past five years should provide context for the next phase of this battle, says Rex Berry at Signature Resolution.

  • 3rd Circ. Ruling Offers Tools To Manage Exempt Employees

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    The Third Circuit’s recent opinion in Higgins v. Bayada Home Health, finding the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to deduct paid time off for missed employee productivity targets, gives companies another resource for managing exempt employee inefficiency or absenteeism, says Laura Lawless at Squire Patton.