Wage & Hour

  • May 07, 2024

    Wash. Opinion Establishes Pay Transparency Suit Battle Lines

    A Washington federal court opinion on a job applicant's pay transparency suit offers clues to how this novel area of equal pay could play out in future litigation, attorneys say, and it raises questions on what constitutes harm and a sincere application effort.

  • May 07, 2024

    Ark. Restaurant Operator Pays $12K For FMLA Infractions

    The operator of nine restaurants in Arkansas paid nearly $12,000 in back wages and fines for firing a worker who took protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday.

  • May 07, 2024

    Excavator Can't Bury DOL Back Pay Retaliation Suit

    A Vermont excavation company can't escape the U.S. Department of Labor's suit alleging it retaliated against the worker who initiated an agency investigation, with a federal judge ruling Tuesday that a threatening Facebook post was meant to intimidate the ex-worker and cannot be protected as free speech.

  • May 07, 2024

    Ogletree Adds Shareholder In Detroit From Miller Canfield

    Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC has added a labor and employment partner from Michigan firm Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone PLC to its Detroit office, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • May 07, 2024

    Calif. Panel Says Court Could Undo Order Disqualifying Attys

    A California trial court correctly reconsidered its earlier ruling on a truck body manufacturer's bid to disqualify a workers' side firm from a wage and hour suit, a state appellate panel said, ruling that a temporary missing document led the court in the wrong direction.

  • May 07, 2024

    Amazon Worker Wants Class Cert. In Military Leave Suit

    A former Amazon worker urged a New York federal court to greenlight a more than 9,000-member class of military reservists in her lawsuit accusing the e-commerce giant of failing to provide paid leave for employees on active duty, saying the dispute is best suited for class treatment.

  • May 07, 2024

    Janitorial Contractor Pays $649K To Settle Child Labor Suit

    A Tennessee janitorial contractor will pay more than $649,000 in fines to settle a U.S. Department of Labor suit alleging it permitted children to work dangerous jobs overnight, according to court documents.

  • May 07, 2024

    Apple, Amazon Accused Of Shorting Background Actors

    Apple TV and Amazon Studios LLC failed to pay background actors their full overtime wages, denied them meal breaks and forced them to cover work-related expenses, a former actor for the studios said in two proposed class actions filed in California state court.

  • May 07, 2024

    Women's Advocate Discusses Unions' Impact On Pay Gaps

    Unions help women earn higher wages and narrow gender pay gaps, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the National Women’s Law Center. Here, Law360 speaks with the law center’s senior counsel Adrienne DerVartanian about the protections unions afford women and others.

  • May 07, 2024

    Sidley Brings On Wilson Sonsini Employment Pro In Palo Alto

    Sidley Austin LLP has boosted its labor and employment practice with a partner joining from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC who boasts more than a decade of experience handling employment-related matters in Silicon Valley.

  • May 06, 2024

    Employer's Good Faith Axes Paystub Fine, Calif. Justices Rule

    The California Supreme Court on Monday held that if an employer had a good faith belief it was providing complete and accurate wage statements to its employees, it has not knowingly and intentionally violated state labor law, meaning workers cannot recover civil penalties offered for intentional violations of wage statement requirements.

  • May 06, 2024

    Job Opportunity Specialists Say NYC Owes Unpaid OT Wages

    New York City has not been paying its job opportunity specialists overtime wages when they perform work outside their scheduled shifts and during their unpaid meal breaks, a group of current and former employees alleged in a proposed collective action filed Monday in federal court.

  • May 06, 2024

    Judge Questions Reason For Removing Chem Co. Wage Class

    A Pennsylvania federal judge joined chemical company workers Monday in questioning whether the company had plausibly alleged that there were enough people in a proposed class to remove their wage suit from state court.

  • May 06, 2024

    Mass. Justices Wary Of Spiking Uber, Lyft Ballot Questions

    Justices on Massachusetts' highest court appeared unlikely Monday to strike down ballot proposals to reinvent app-based drivers' relationships with Uber, Lyft and the like, commenting that the scattershot ideas for voters in March all carry the underlying theme of creating a carveout from the state's worker-friendly employee classification law.

  • May 06, 2024

    Amazon Contractor Suits To Reopen After Justices Skip Cases

    Two related long-running lawsuits claiming Amazon misclassified drivers as independent contractors instead of employees will likely resume after a Washington federal judge said lifting a stay would be appropriate in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to hear two matters that might have impacted the misclassification cases.

  • May 06, 2024

    Ritz-Carlton Defeats Post-Hurricane Layoff Claims At 1st Circ.

    The First Circuit has said a Puerto Rico federal judge was right to rule in favor of a Ritz-Carlton hotel in a suit by a proposed class of employees who claimed they were wrongfully laid off after the island was decimated by back-to-back hurricanes in 2017.

  • May 06, 2024

    Amazon Workers Answer Judge's $5.5M COVID Deal Inquiries

    Amazon employees assured a California federal court that their $5.5 million proposed class action deal is fit for approval, giving additional information on the terms and saying the company backed ending the lawsuit accusing the e-commerce giant of failing to pay for time spent undergoing COVID screenings before shifts.

  • May 06, 2024

    FDIC, OCC Gear Up For Another Shot At Banker Bonus Rules

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Monday revived an Obama-era proposal to set restrictions on incentive-based pay for executives at big banks, a lingering item of unfinished Dodd-Frank Act business, and for now, the Federal Reserve is sitting out.

  • May 06, 2024

    College Football Players Assoc. Eyes Athlete Protection Bill

    The College Football Players Association will meet this week with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to craft legislation that gives athletes certain worker protections and collective bargaining rights but stops short of classifying them as full employees, the organization said Monday.

  • May 06, 2024

    Gerdau Steel Settles Fathers' Parental Leave Suit In Texas

    A suit accusing steel producer Gerdau of not allowing male mill workers to take parental leave will be put to rest after a Texas federal judge signed off on a nationwide deal between the workers and the company.

  • May 06, 2024

    Ex-Morgan & Morgan Paralegal Hits Firm With FMLA Suit

    A former Morgan & Morgan PA paralegal who says she was unlawfully fired after requesting time off under protections afforded by the Family and Medical Leave Act has sued the firm in Florida federal court, alleging interference and retaliation.

  • May 06, 2024

    Mortgage Brokers Go After Fla. Bank For OT Pay

    A Florida bank hasn't been paying its mortgage brokers time-and-a-half premiums even though they were not exempt from overtime laws and routinely worked between 50 and 70 hours per week, three former workers for the bank said in a proposed collective action in federal court.

  • May 03, 2024

    NLRB Threats May Lurk In Litigation Questioning

    A handful of recent decisions out of the National Labor Relations Board offer employers a reminder that they may risk labor lawsuits if they probe workers' conversations with colleagues or unions to bolster their cases in wage suits, challenges to union elections and other litigation.

  • May 03, 2024

    NY Forecast: Judge Weighs Class Cert. In Tax Prep OT Case

    In the coming week, a federal magistrate judge will consider whether to grant class certification to New York income tax preparers who claim they were denied overtime pay due to their employer's practice of paying them on commissions. Here, Law360 explores this and other cases on the docket in New York.

  • May 03, 2024

    Ex-Spirit Flight Attendant Drops FMLA Suit

    A Florida federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit a former flight attendant lodged against Spirit Airlines accusing it of firing her after she complained that its medical leave policies ran afoul of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Expert Analysis

  • State Law Compliance Considerations For Remote Job Posts

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    In light of the increasing prevalence of state and local laws mandating a salary range on job listings, employers should provide pay transparency when looking for remote workers in order to avoid potential penalties and litigation, says Eric Fox at Gordon & Rees.

  • Employers Should Note Post-Midterms State Law Changes

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    State ballot measures in the recent midterm elections could require employers to update policies related to drug use, wages, collective bargaining and benefit plans that offer access to abortion care — a reminder of the challenges in complying with the ever-changing patchwork of state workplace laws, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • PAGA Claims Are A Gamble As Calif. Justices Mull Uber Case

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    The California Supreme Court's pending Private Attorneys General Act decision in Adolph v. Uber will have significant repercussions for both employers and employees, potentially forcing employers to question whether there is any benefit to arbitrating individual PAGA claims, says Jonathan Andrews at Signature Resolution.

  • Why Companies Lose In Gig Worker Class Cert. Cases

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    The recent class certification of gig workers in Roman v. Jan-Pro Franchising in California and Bedoya v. American Eagle Express in New Jersey shows that companies who rely on uniform contracts and policies with independent contractors expose themselves to liability in a judicial climate that increasingly favors workers, say Joan Fife and Kevin Simpson at Winston & Strawn.

  • DOL Proposal Invokes ABC Test For Contractor Classification

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    The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued a proposed rule for determining whether workers are independent contractors or employees, that, if adopted, would effectively implement California's so-called ABC test for classification and substantially rewrite the employment playbook nationwide, says Ronald Zambrano at West Coast Employment Lawyers.

  • Labor Rules Will Unlock IRA Tax Credits' Full Value

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    Companies that make sure to follow the Inflation Reduction Act's unique labor rules will be in the best position to unlock the law's tremendous tax incentives aimed at promoting renewable energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging carbon sequestration, say Nicole Elliott and Timothy Taylor at Holland & Knight.

  • What To Know About New Wave Of Calif. Employment Laws

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    Attorneys at Reed Smith share insights on employment and benefits laws recently enacted in California that are certain to affect employers in the year ahead — including new bereavement and medical leave requirements, expanded reproductive health care protections, a minimum wage increase, and updated pay transparency rules.

  • Enforcing Cost-Splitting Employment Arbitration Provisions

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    While recent appellate decisions and executive action have increased scrutiny of employment arbitration agreements, with careful agreement drafting and negotiation employers can still craft enforceable provisions requiring employees to split arbitration costs, says Christopher Deubert at Constangy Brooks.

  • Beware Rise In Lawsuits Under NY Manual Worker Pay Rule

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    Although the New York rule that manual workers must be paid weekly has existed for some time, there has been a significant increase in the number of lawsuits against employers after the 2019 ruling in Vega v. CM & Associates, making correct classification of employees paramount, say Heather Sager and Krista Gay at Perkins Coie.

  • Unpacking FLSA Domestic Service Worker Wage Exemptions

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    Nancy Barnes and Anthony McNamara at Thompson Hine explain the nuances of domestic service worker compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the applicable exemptions to its minimum wage and overtime requirements.

  • Tips On Complying With Calif.'s New Pay Transparency Law

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    California's new pay transparency law takes effect on Jan. 1, which means that employers must take action now to ensure that they are prepared to comply with an extensive pay reporting scheme that is among the most complex and detailed in the nation, say Maria Stearns and Joanna Blake at Rutan & Tucker.

  • Strategies For Approaching New NY Pay Transparency Laws

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    Pay transparency laws are proliferating in New York and across the country, resulting in a patchwork that can be challenging for employers to navigate, but considering seven key questions can help with cross-jurisdictional compliance, says Kelly Cardin at Ogletree.

  • Navigating The OT Debates In High Court Rig Worker Case

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    While recent U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Helix Energy v. Hewitt focused on whether an oil rig worker could qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s highly compensated employee overtime exemption, the most interesting issue raised could spark new challenges to previously unquestioned overtime regulations, says Glenn Grindlinger at Fox Rothschild.