In a case of first impression, on April 1, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued an important decision in Nawara v. Cook County Municipality (Case Nos. 22-1393, 22-1430, 22-2395 & 22-2451), holding...more
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published FAB No. 2025-1, providing guidance to its field staff on the analysis to apply when determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee for...more
On April 1, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued an important decision in Pickens v. Hamilton-Ryker IT Solutions, LLC regarding what it means to be paid on a “weekly basis” for purposes of the...more
On February 12, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an important decision in Porteous v. Flowers Foods, Inc. regarding the enforceability of class and collective action waivers contained in...more
2/25/2025
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Misclassification
On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued another opinion letter (FLSA2025-1) reiterating its position that managers and supervisors are prohibited from participating in a tip pool under any circumstance....more
On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter (FMLA2025-01-A) clarifying when an employer may count an employee’s leave taken under a state paid family leave program against that employee’s...more
Last week, in a highly anticipated ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in EMD Sales Inc. v. Carrera, Case No. 23-217, concluding that a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard applies when an employer seeks to...more
1/20/2025
/ Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Rights ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Preponderance of the Evidence ,
SCOTUS ,
Wage and Hour
In August 2024, we reported on the highly anticipated opinion in Restaurant Law Center v. U.S. Department of Labor, 115 F.4th 396 (5th Cir. 2024), in which the Fifth Circuit vacated the 2021 Dual Jobs Final Rule as arbitrary,...more
On December 18, 2024, the DOL issued opinion letter FLSA2024-02, reaffirming its position that managers and supervisors are prohibited from participating in tip pools under any circumstances....more
On December 10, 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or “the Board”) took advantage of its Democratic majority in the waning days of the Biden administration to issue its decision in Endurance Environmental...more
Amendments to the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA) setting forth new pay stub requirements for employers take effect on January 1, 2025. Here are the highlights. What Is a “Pay Stub.”...more
On November 15, 2024, in a highly anticipated decision, a Texas federal district court judge struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s final regulation that increased the salary threshold for the “white collar” exemptions...more
On October 4, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that “boilerplate disclaimer language” in an incentive compensation plan does not automatically prevent the formation of an “agreement” between an...more
In a recent decision, the Colorado Supreme Court reminded employers that state law often differs from federal law when it comes to properly paying employers. One such area involves calculating the regular rate of pay for...more
On August 29, 2024, a Seventh Circuit panel granted a midsuit request from Eli Lilly & Company to review a district court order granting collective certification to a sales representative in her age discrimination lawsuit....more
In a highly anticipated opinion, on August 23, 2024, the Fifth Circuit in Restaurant Law Center v. U.S. Department of Labor (Case No. 23-50562) struck down a Final Rule promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that...more
8/30/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Minimum Wage ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
On August 19, 2024, the Colorado Supreme Court announced that it will decide what statute of limitations applies to claims brought under the Colorado Minimum Wage Act – the Colorado Wage Claim Act ’s two or three-year statute...more
On August 16, 2024, a divided Seventh Circuit panel held that a court needs to establish personal jurisdiction over each individual member of a Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) collective, further contributing to an existing...more
On August 4, 2023, Illinois became the first state to adopt statutory protections for freelance workers when Governor JB Pritzker signed the Freelance Worker Protection Act (the “Act”). The Act took effect on July 1, 2024....more