On March 11, 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment issued Colorado Health Emergency Leave with Pay (“Colorado HELP”) Rules that require certain employers to provide paid sick leave for employees with flu-like...more
3/13/2020
/ China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Food Service Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Home Healthcare Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Rules ,
Nursing Homes ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Risk Management ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Paid Sick Days Act will (finally) take effect on March 15, 2020, the effective date triggered when the Mayor's Office of Equity (“MOE”) released guidelines on December 16, 2019. On February 15,...more
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
After more than a four-year delay, the City of Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act (“the Ordinance”) will go into effect on March 15, 2020. The city passed the Ordinance in August 2015, but its authority to pass such a law was...more
12/23/2019
/ Accrual Requirements ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Carry-Over Basis ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Posting Requirements ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour
Turkeys weren't the only things stuffed in November – there was a gut-busting amount of late-year legislative, regulatory and case law developments at the federal, state, and local levels concerning the minimum wage, tips,...more
12/5/2019
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Fluctuating Workweek ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
A Texas state court judge's letter ruling temporarily enjoins San Antonio's paid sick and safe leave ordinance from taking effect on December 1, 2019. While the November 22, 2019 ruling says a trial on the merits will occur...more
Minimum wage laws can affect businesses of all sizes, whether operating nationwide, in multiple jurisdictions, or only in one state, county, or city. To help manage this challenge, below we provide a rates-only update that...more
11/13/2019
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Food Service Workers ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Rate of Pay ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The City of Duluth has published final rules and revised FAQs implementing its Earned Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. The Ordinance takes effect January 1, 2020 for employers with five or more employees, regardless of whether...more
11/11/2019
/ Accrual Requirements ,
Carryover Basis ,
Construction Workers ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Definition ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Multi-Factor Test ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Safe Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour
Earlier this month the San Antonio City Council approved major changes to the city’s paid sick and safe leave ordinance. San Antonio’s ordinance was scheduled to take effect August 1, 2019. The effective date was delayed...more
This October there are no tricks, but there are plenty of treats (assuming you have a sweet tooth for minimum wage, overtime, and tip developments at all levels of government)....more
11/1/2019
/ Back Wages ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
The Westchester County Human Rights Commission, the agency responsible for conducting public outreach for the Westchester County Safe Time Leave Law, published a host of information, including a copy of the law, a Notice of...more
On October 15, 2019, the Bernalillo County, New Mexico Commissioners voted to amend their mandatory paid time off (PTO) ordinance, enacted only two months earlier. As we previously reported, the ordinance will require...more
10/31/2019
/ Accrual Requirements ,
Adverse Employment Action ,
Amended Legislation ,
Carry-Over Basis ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Retaliation ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour
Though in August summer is almost over and fall is just about upon us, federal, state, and local developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime transcend the seasons.
...more
On August 20, 2019, the Bernalillo County, New Mexico Commissioners enacted the "Employee Wellness Act," which, though originally styled as a paid sick leave law, as amended requires covered employers to provide paid time off...more
While most parts of the country were heating up in July, developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime were cooling off. Many state legislatures have adjourned or are in recess, leaving it mainly to federal...more
New Jersey has expanded its medical marijuana program and—for the first time since the state enacted the law—adopted formal protections for employees and job applicants who use what is now called “medical cannabis.” ...more
On July 17, 2019, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held the City of Pittsburgh's Paid Sick Days Act (PSDA) was a valid exercise of the City's "express statutory authority to legislate in furtherance of disease control and...more
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
On June 27, 2019, Governor Gavin Newson (D) signed Senate Bill (SB) 83, which, beginning on July 1, 2020, will extend from six to eight weeks the maximum duration of paid family leave (PFL) benefits individuals may receive...more
On May 28, 2019, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed into law a groundbreaking new statute requiring Maine employers (even small businesses) to provide paid time off beginning January 1, 2021. The law is the first of its...more
Status of U.S. Department of Labor Rules: May 21, 2019 was the deadline to submit public comment concerning the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rules governing the minimum salary or fee amount employees must receive...more
Westchester County, New York has enacted a new ordinance, the “Safe Time Leave Law,” that, beginning October 30, 2019, will require all private employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave for victims of domestic...more