Wage & Hour

  • October 17, 2025

    Early PWFA Ruling Highlights Need For Lactation Education

    A recent court ruling allowing the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to move ahead with a Pregnant Workers Fairness Act case over denied pumping breaks underscores the need for employers to train managers on breastfeeding accommodations, experts said.

  • October 17, 2025

    11th Circ. Says Adjusters May Be Insurance Cos.' Employees

    A jury could reasonably find that a pair of insurance companies employed three insurance adjusters, the Eleventh Circuit ruled, flipping an Alabama district court's findings that the workers were independent contractors.

  • October 17, 2025

    Commuter Rail Union's Wage Dispute Sent Back To Arbitration

    A Massachusetts federal judge has sent back to arbitration a wage-related dispute between a maintenance workers unit of the Teamsters and the company that operates greater Boston's commuter rail system, saying he recently found he has the authority to do so.

  • October 17, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Hear Court Exec. Race Bias Args

    In the coming week, attorneys should keep an eye out for Ninth Circuit oral arguments in a former California state court executive officer's race discrimination case. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in that state.

  • October 17, 2025

    Fired K-9 Officer Drops Bias Suit Against Mich. Hospital

    A former K-9 security officer for a Michigan hospital agreed to drop her claims that she was fired after disclosing that she was in a same-sex relationship and asking for back pay earned while caring for the dog, according to a Friday order.

  • October 17, 2025

    Mercedes-Benz, Staffing Firm Settle OT Dispute

    A billable worker told a Georgia federal court that she reached a tentative settlement with Mercedes-Benz and a staffing agency she accused of flouting the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay her overtime.

  • October 16, 2025

    La Colombe Workers' $450K Wage Deal Gets Final OK

    La Colombe's hourly paid production workers have received final approval of a $450,000 settlement with the coffee chain, which was accused of failing to pay them for time spent donning and doffing protective equipment before and after their shifts, according to an order by a Pennsylvania federal judge.

  • October 16, 2025

    Wage Reporting Laws Are Useful Deterrents To Pay Inequality

    Equal pay data reporting laws are part of the broader embrace of pay transparency, and though their utility lies in forcing employers to audit their pay practices, the data is imperfect, attorneys said.

  • October 16, 2025

    X, Musk Settle Former Executives' Severance Suit

    Three former Twitter executives have settled their lawsuit claiming they were deprived of millions of dollars in severance benefits following Elon Musk's takeover of the social media company, according to a filing Thursday in California federal court.

  • October 16, 2025

    LA Beats Ex-Police Lt.'s Military Leave Bias Suit Before Trial

    The city of Los Angeles on Thursday beat a proposed class action alleging its police department didn't grant equal sick and vacation time to service members and passed them over for promotions because of their service obligations, weeks before jury trial was set to commence in California federal court. 

  • October 16, 2025

    NY Health System Hit With Time Rounding, Meal Break Suit

    A health system in New York has been automatically deducting meal breaks and rounding hours on workers' time sheets, cheating them out of wages, according to a proposed class and collective action filed in federal court.

  • October 16, 2025

    Texas Law Firm Partially Misclassified Paralegal, Judge Rules

    A former paralegal for a Texas law firm was an independent contractor for the first four years at the firm, but an employee for the remaining two, a federal judge ruled while denying her bid to snag a win on her overtime and minimum wage claims.

  • October 16, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says FLSA Doesn't Limit Class Member Settlements

    The Fair Labor Standards Act tackles only who can litigate claims and is silent on whether settlement class members who have not opted into a collective can release their claims under the federal law, the Third Circuit found Thursday.

  • October 16, 2025

    3rd Circ. Denies DOL's Bid For 2nd Look At H-2A Fine Powers

    The full Third Circuit won't weigh whether the U.S. Department of Labor had the authority to use in-house administrative proceedings to impose more than $580,000 in fines on a New Jersey farm for what the department said were violations of the H-2A visa program.

  • October 15, 2025

    Alaska Airlines Seeks To Ground Pilot Sick Leave Accrual Suit

    A former Alaska Airlines pilot's suit claiming that he should have accrued vacation and sick time while on long-term military assignments cannot stand because the company doesn't provide such a benefit to other types of leave, the airline told a Washington federal court.

  • October 15, 2025

    Calif. Stay-Or-Pay Ban Creates Wage Suit Pathway

    California’s new ban on stay-or-pay provisions in employment contracts brings the issue of debt repayment under wage and hour law, a change attorneys expect will largely end the use of such arrangements or lead to civil suits under a new monetary penalty.

  • October 15, 2025

    Wash. Judge Rejects Consulting Co.'s $295K Deal In OT Suit

    A Washington federal judge refused to approve a $295,000 settlement in a proposed collective action accusing a consulting company of not paying workers overtime, finding no "bona fide dispute" existed over whether the company was required to pay overtime rates and that the deal would improperly waive workers' rights.

  • October 15, 2025

    Mortgage Co. Can't Nix Worker's Racist Nickname Allegations

    A New York federal judge narrowed but refused to toss a bias suit from a Black mortgage company worker who said his white boss repeatedly called him a nickname using a racial slur, ruling a reasonable jury could find he'd endured an unlawfully hostile work environment.

  • October 15, 2025

    Nursing Entities Stiffed Workers On OT, Suit Claims

    Two subsidiaries of an operator of nursing facilities automatically deducted unpaid meal breaks that certified nursing assistants were unable to take, leading to unpaid overtime wages, a former employee said in a proposed class and collective action in Colorado federal court.

  • October 15, 2025

    Mass. AG, Security Co. Settle Wage Law Claims

    A security firm and its president will pay more than $583,000 to settle claims that it violated state wage and sick leave laws, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General announced Wednesday.

  • October 15, 2025

    AmEx Failed To Pay For Boot-Up, Power-Down Time, Suit Says

    American Express' travel service didn't pay customer care representatives for time they spent booting up their computers and closing out of work applications, resulting in unpaid overtime, according to a proposed class and collective action in New York federal court.

  • October 14, 2025

    Walmart Pay Transparency Suit Returns To Wash. State Court

    A Washington federal judge returned a proposed wage transparency class action against Walmart Inc. to state court Tuesday, agreeing with the plaintiff that he didn't claim a concrete enough injury for the suit to proceed in federal court.

  • October 14, 2025

    Concrete Co. Can't Challenge $2M Seattle Wage Theft Fine

    A Washington state appellate panel on Monday rejected a concrete subcontractor's appeal of more than $2 million in penalties for wage violations at Seattle construction sites, supporting a city hearing examiner's conclusion that the company was also on the hook alongside the primary contractor.  

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Panel Keeps State's Win In Uber, Lyft Classification Row

    Uber and Lyft cannot bypass administrative proceedings by filing suits challenging the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health's authority to issue them citations and asking a trial court to find their drivers are independent contractors, a state panel ruled Tuesday.

  • October 14, 2025

    Butcher Says NJ Grocery Store Stiffed Workers On Full Wages

    A grocery store in New Jersey paid workers below the state minimum wage, denied them overtime pay and failed to keep accurate records, a former butcher alleged in a proposed class and collective action in federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Insurance Claims That Could Emerge After NCAA Settlement

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    Following the recent NCAA class action settlement that will allow revenue sharing with college athletes, there may be potential management liability for universities, their executive leadership and boards that could expose insurers to tax, regulatory, breach of contract and other claims, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 8th Circ. Ruling Highlights Complicated Remote Work Analysis

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    The Eighth Circuit’s recent opinion in Kuklenski v. Medtronic USA demonstrates that the applicability of employment laws to remote workers is often a fact-driven analysis, highlighting several parameters to consider when evaluating what state and local laws may apply to employees who work remotely, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Philly Law Initiates New Era Of Worker Protections

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    A new worker protection law in Philadelphia includes, among other measures, a private right of action and recordkeeping requirements that may amount to a lower evidentiary standard, introducing a new level of accountability and additional noncompliance risks for employers, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Dissecting House And Senate's Differing No-Tax-On-Tips Bills

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    Employers should understand how the House and Senate versions of no-tax-on-tips bills differ — including in the scope of related deductions and reporting requirements — to meet any new compliance obligations and communicate with their employees, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • 4 Midyear Employer Actions To Reinforce Compliance

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    The legal and political landscape surrounding what the government describes as unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives has become increasingly complex over the past six months, and the midyear juncture presents a strategic opportunity to reinforce commitments to legal integrity, workplace equity and long-term operational resilience, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Water Cooler Talk: Performance Review Tips From 'Severance'

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    In the hit series "Severance," the eerie depiction of performance reviews, which drone on for hours and focus on frivolous issues, can instruct employers about best practices to follow and mistakes to avoid when conducting employee evaluations, say Tracey Diamond and Emily Schifter at Troutman.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

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    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Takeaways From DOJ's 1st Wage-Fixing Jury Conviction

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    U.S. v. Lopez marked the U.S. Department of Justice's first labor market conviction at trial as a Nevada federal jury found a home healthcare staffing executive guilty of wage-fixing and wire fraud, signaling that improper agreements risk facing successful criminal prosecution, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Handbook Hot Topics: Relying On FLSA Regs Amid Repeals

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    Because handbook policies often rely on federal regulations, President Donald Trump's recent actions directing agency heads to repeal "facially unlawful regulations" may leave employers wondering what may change, but they should be mindful that even a repealed regulation may have accurately stated the law, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Understanding Compliance Concerns With NY Severance Bill

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    New York's No Severance Ultimatums Act, if enacted, could overhaul how employers manage employee separations, but employers should be mindful that the bill's language introduces ambiguities and raises compliance concerns, say attorneys at Norris McLaughlin.

  • What Employers Should Know Ahead Of H-2B Visa Changes

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    Employers should be aware of several anticipated changes to the H-2B visa program, which allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers, including annual prevailing wage changes and other shifts arising from recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the new administration, say Steve Bronars and Elliot Delahaye at Edgeworth Economics, and Chris Schulte at Fisher Phillips.

  • Int'l Athletes' Wages Should Be On-Campus Employment

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security should recognize participation in college athletics by international student-athletes as on-campus employment to prevent the potentially disastrous ripple effects on teams, schools and their surrounding communities, says Catherine Haight at Haight Law Group.

  • 4 Trends Responsible For Declining FLSA Filings

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    In 2024, the number of Fair Labor Standards Act claims filed in federal courts continued to decrease, reflecting a steady decline in federal FLSA filings since 2015 due to a few trends, including increased compliance and presuit resolution, say attorneys at Seyfarth.