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How Will the Election and Recent Legislative Trends Impact Tipped Wages? 4 Developments for Hospitality Employers to Watch

There’s been a lot of buzz about tipped wages as Election Day approaches – and hospitality employers will want to track key proposals that may have a huge impact on pay practices. Former President Trump and Vice President...more

Appeals Court Strikes Down Onerous 80/20/30 Tip Credit Rule: 7 Things Hospitality Employers Should Know About This Win

A federal appeals court just delivered some good news to hospitality employers by blocking the Department of Labor’s infamous 80/20/30 rule, providing immediate relief to employers around the country by vacating the...more

Reclassifying Employees to Non-Exempt Status? Consider a “Percentage Bonus” to Avoid Costly Overtime Pay Mistakes

Many employers are planning to reclassify employees to non-exempt status now that the Labor Department is significantly raising the salary threshold for employees to be exempt from overtime pay. You likely know that...more

Restaurant Settles EEOC Lawsuit Based on Denying Cook’s No-Sundays Request: 6 Steps for Handling Religious Accommodation Requests

A North Carolina restaurant franchisee has agreed to pay $40,000 and take other corrective measures to settle a religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the EEOC after being accused of denying a cook’s...more

Can Restaurant Hosts Share in the Tip Pool? Top 5 Questions for Employers that Take a Tip Credit

Many restaurants utilize tip pools to encourage teamwork, consistency, and customer-focused service – but you may be confused about who can and can’t participate in the pool. You feel confident that your servers and...more

Are You Properly Paying Your Bell Staff? 5 Top Questions for Hotels that Take a Tip Credit

Hotel staff often include a mix of tipped and non-tipped jobs, but following wage and hour rules isn’t always easy, particularly if employees perform a variety of tasks. Some workers — such as servers and bartenders — may...more

The Little-Known Reason Why An Employee’s Job Performance Could Tank Their Exempt Status – and What Employers Can Do About It

Last week’s news that the Labor Department is proposing a hefty increase to the weekly salary requirement to qualify employees for the overtime exemption has put the spotlight on how much you pay your employees – but that...more

Labor Department’s “New” Tip Credit Rule is Here to Stay…For Now: A 10-Step Plan for Hospitality Employers

A federal court just refused to block the U.S. Department of Labor’s infamous 80/20 rule, which applies to employers that take the tip credit toward their minimum wage obligation under federal wage and hour law – which means...more

Appeals Court Sets New Standard in Federal Wage and Hour Collective Actions: 4 Biggest Takeaways for Employers

An appeals court just raised the bar for employees seeking to notify other potential plaintiffs about collective wage and hour claims under federal law. Employees may bring such claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act on...more

Can You Include Sushi Chefs — and Other Unique Positions — in Your Tip Pool? 5 Key Questions for Restaurateurs to Review

Do you utilize a tip pool in your restaurant? If so, you are likely aware of the various rules on maintaining a valid, lawful tip pool under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable state laws. You surely...more

Federal Appeals Court Confirms the Obvious: “Salary” Does Not Include Fringe Benefits

A federal appeals court just ruled that paid time off (PTO) is not a part of an employee’s salary under federal wage and hour law, shutting down an inventive attempt by plaintiffs’ attorneys to find a new way to assert wage...more

Tip-Credit Turmoil Continues: USDOL Releases Guidance That Continues Trend of Trimming Employer Practices

More than a year after the US Department of Labor announced the return of the time-keeping nightmare that is the 80/20 rule with new tweaks that encourage even more litigation, the agency just released new guidance that...more

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions: Top 7 Wage and Hour Mistakes for Hospitality Employers to Avoid

Employers in the hospitality industry have been through it all in recent years – from the devastation of the pandemic to ongoing labor shortages to an impending recession. These challenges and dramatic changes have surely...more

Food Delivery Apps Can Be Both a Blessing and a Curse for Restaurants: 5 Tips to Avoid a Tip Credit Landmine

Restaurants’ reliance on food delivery apps soared during the pandemic because they provide a convenient way for customers to order from local restaurants and an easy solution for processing restaurant payments and sourcing...more

4 Reminders for Employers After a Texas BBQ Chain’s $900K Tip Pooling Mistake

Employers in the restaurant and hospitality industries know it’s a common practice to ask workers to share gratuities. Tip pools can promote teamwork and a better customer experience – but they can also land you in hot water...more

Service Charges Could Be Solution to Tip Credit Challenges: An Employer’s 6-Step Guide

Hospitality employers who utilize the “tip credit” under federal wage and hour law may feel as if they operate with a bullseye on their backs given the multi-prong assault underway against the practice. Not only are you in...more

Is Your Tip Credit A Ticking Time Bomb? An Employer’s 10-Step Wage and Hour Action Plan for 2022

With the government’s final rules on the tips provisions of federal wage and hour law becoming effective just weeks ago, employers will be challenged with ensuring they have a plan to address the rules’ impact on their...more

Feds Now Have Broader Authority to Assess Monetary Penalties for Tip Violations

Federal labor officials just finalized a rule that broadens their ability to assess monetary fines against those business that commit wage and hour violations with regards to tip payments, a development several months in the...more

New Labor Department Proposal Would Resurrect Troublesome 80/20 Rule for Tipped Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor just issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will affect most businesses with tipped employees if the business utilizes the tip-credit method of payment. The thrust of this proposal is the...more

Labor Department Loosens Tip Pool Rules For Hospitality Employers

The U.S. Department of Labor issued a long-awaited final rule right before Christmas addressing the issue of tipped employees. The final rule, released on December 22 but not effective until February 20, 2021, provides...more

"Outside Salesman": Two Simple Words Make for One Complex Exemption

Two recent opinion letters from the U.S Department of Labor (USDOL) examine the contours of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) “outside salesman” exemption, which exempts covered employees from the FLSA’s minimum...more

Georgia Employers Receive Guidance On Governor’s Back-To-Business Order (UPDATED)

As expected, Governor Brian Kemp issued a detailed executive order to begin to re-open businesses throughout the state in the hopes that the worst of the COVID-19 crisis has passed. [Ed. Note: The initial guidelines and...more

Attendance Bonuses During COVID-19 Rebuilding Can Lead To Unintended Legal Consequences

As the nation’s political leaders discuss the easing of the various shelter-in-place orders in an effort to re-start the economy, businesses have begun making their own re-start plans – and they often include bonus programs...more

USDOL Issues Proposed Changes to the Tip Credit Regulations

Employers that utilize the “tip credit” in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), or whose employees receive tips, should carefully consider regulatory changes that were proposed by USDOL today. While many of the...more

Scalia To Take Labor Department Reins: What Does It Mean For Employers?

The news that President Trump selected Eugene Scalia to take over as Labor Secretary late last week caught some employers by surprise; after all, it was just a week ago that we were analyzing the track record of the...more

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