On May 19, 2020, Long Beach, California enacted a law requiring supplemental paid sick leave for COVID-19 purposes. Like San Jose, Long Beach enacted an urgency ordinance that takes effect immediately, plus an identical...more
On March 16, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled legislation revisiting the sweeping COVID-19 response bill it passed only days earlier. While ostensibly styled as “corrections” to the prior legislation, this...more
On March 18, 2020, the U.S. Senate approved House-passed legislation responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will now be sent to the president, who is expected to sign it into law. Of direct interest to the business...more
In the early hours of March 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation in response to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the United States. The Emergency Families First Coronavirus...more
3/17/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Tax Credits ,
Workplace Safety
Hey, do you want to read an article not about COVID-19? Well, you are in luck, because in this virus-free issue of Wage Watch, we discuss only developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime that occurred in the...more
3/9/2020
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Franchises ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
If January's minimum wage, tip, and overtime developments forecast what employers should expect throughout the remainder of the year, it could be a challenging 2020....more
2/5/2020
/ Comment Period ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Franchises ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Job Duties ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Rate of Pay ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
As “Super Sick Monday” approaches, employers will review their sick leave policies and procedures to ensure that operations are not “sacked” by excessive absenteeism the day after the Super Bowl, and that an enforcement...more
1/29/2020
/ Absenteeism ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
We remember when legislative and regulatory developments rarely occurred in December, but those days are behind us.
A Reminder About New Year's Eve & New Year's Day Rate Increases: Many minimum wage, tipped and exempt...more
1/2/2020
/ Appeals ,
Comment Period ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Consumer Price Index ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lack of Jurisdiction ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Perks ,
Preemption ,
Rate of Pay ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Wages ,
White-Collar Exemptions
You don't need to be an Earth, Wind, and Fire fan to realize September had all the elements necessary to make for a memorable month of developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
10/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Summer, summer, summertime; time to sit back and unwind with minimum wage, overtime, and tip-related developments that occurred in June 2019.
A Reminder that Minimum Wage Rates May Increase on July 1: As we discussed in...more
It was a busy third month of 2019, so we will march right into discussing developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
4/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Orders ,
White-Collar Exemptions
2019 marks the start of Wage Watch’s third year of publication, which we will celebrate the only way we (sadly) know how: by recapping federal, state, and local developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
2/1/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Offshore Drilling ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tip-Pooling ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The past month was full of minimum wage, tip, and overtime activity: amendments; annual rate adjustments; ballot measure battles; legal challenges; and new bills. It was a September to remember....more
10/4/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Piece-Rate Pay ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Although the U.S. Department of Labor may steal the show in terms of August developments involving the minimum wage, tips, and overtime, states are by no means singing backup. State labor departments on opposite sides of the...more
9/4/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
UPDATE: Chicago has announced its July 1, 2018 minimum wage rates for tipped employees.
Employers with minimum wage, tip, and overtime allergies might dread spring, but given the few developments this month, they should...more
6/4/2018
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
On the heels of signing equal pay legislation which will substantially expand pay equity protections for New Jersey employees, Governor Phil Murphy tweeted that he will sign a statewide paid sick leave bill on Wednesday, May...more
Never mind the Ides of March, for employers with tipped employees: beware the federal budget process. Presumably no one’s March Madness bracket had federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) amendments going to, let alone...more
4/2/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Preemption ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Self-Reporting ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour
February may be the shortest month of the year, but what it lacked in days it made up with minimum wage and overtime developments at the federal, state, and local levels....more
3/2/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Preemption ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Credits ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
2017 may be so last year, but minimum wage and overtime developments in its final month may forecast what types of measures we will see in 2018. And employers should remember that as of January 1, 2018, state and local...more
1/2/2018
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
September may mean saying goodbye to summer, but minimum wage and overtime developments across the country are still going strong. A nominee to lead federal wage and hour enforcement efforts has been put forward, labor...more
10/2/2017
/ Administrative Appointments ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Field Operations Manual ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
State and Local Government ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
September 15 was the last day in 2017 for bills to pass both houses of the California Legislature and be forwarded to the governor. Governor Jerry Brown (D) has until October 15, 2017 to sign, veto, or otherwise not act upon...more
9/21/2017
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employee Training ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Compensation ,
Federal Contractors ,
FEHA ,
Gender Identity ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Gig Economy ,
Health Insurance ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Right to Privacy ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Single-Payer ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules ,
Workplace Safety
When it comes to legislation, for California employers it's the final countdown. June 2 was the last day for bills to pass out of their house of origin. September 15 is the deadline for these bills to pass both legislative...more
6/13/2017
/ COBRA ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Form I-9 ,
Health Insurance ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigrants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Over-Time ,
Parental Leave ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reproductive Discrimination ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Single-Payer ,
Tipped Employees ,
Veterans ,
Workplace Safety
March madness is not limited to college basketball. This month has also seen numerous minimum wage proposals introduced and considered at the local and state levels. Local and state officials continue to battle over who gets...more
3/31/2017
/ Ballot Measures ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
CT Supreme Court ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
MO Supreme Court ,
New Legislation ,
NLRA ,
NV Supreme Court ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Sick Leave ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
The year’s shortest month contains a long list of minimum wage and overtime developments. Though to date in 2017 a minimum wage proposal has yet to pass a single state house, and measures in Mississippi, North Dakota,...more