How Voice AI and Machine Learning Redefine Call Center Controls - The Consumer Finance Podcast
Episode 23: Using “People Analytics” to Make Smart Business and Corporate Culture Decisions
Late last week, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio found that under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), remote call center employees’ workday starts not when they turn on their computers but when they...more
On September 4, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio concluded that the workday starts when remote call center workers begin operating a program or application they use as part of the principal work...more
On July 29, 2025, Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025. The act targets the offshoring of call center operations, imposes new disclosure rules for customer...more
The Beltway Buzz™ is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business....more
Based on data from its call center, a warranty company thought its market was predominantly female. However, when that company commissioned marketing research, it found that its customer base was actually largely male. While...more
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business....more
On July 9, 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order against a nationally chartered bank that, among other things, includes a number of allegations related to the bank's policies regarding...more
It seems every week another call center case pops up. These are extremely dangerous cases for employers and that is why I keep writing (or, harping) about them, as a warning to employers, not only those who operate call...more
Manishkumar Patel of Pelham Manor, NY recently pleaded guilty in connection with a healthcare fraud and kickback scheme involving the sale of fraudulent prescriptions to pharmacies, durable medical equipment suppliers, and...more
One of the biggest threats facing employers is employees performing pre-shift/post-shift work without being paid and then suing, as a class, for that compensation. This trend is especially prevalent in the customer...more
Keypoint: The Central District of California issues a major victory for website owners facing CIPA-arbitration demands, two decisions address whether a plaintiff consented as a defense to wiretapping claims, three courts in...more
On March 5, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it has adopted new rules and codified previously adopted protections that make it simpler for consumers to revoke consent to unwanted robocalls and...more
Over the last ten years or so, there have been a rash of class actions involving workers employed at various call centers. These cases involve the performance of work prior to the shift and after, so-called preliminary and...more
Deloitte has issued a biennial report that identifies trends that are impacting customer/client contact center operations. The respondents surveyed by Deloitte represented both internal- and external-facing contact centers....more
It seems every other week there is a call center case involving preliminary and postliminary working time. Now, it is a Wayfair call center. The customer service workers allege that the booting up of their computers and...more
Please join Troutman Pepper Partners Chris Willis and Stefanie Jackman, along with special guest Prodigal Banking Strategy Leader Scott Hamilton for a discussion about how voice AI and machine learning contribute to more...more
As it turns out, yes, people do care about time. Two recent court cases highlight some of the risks for employers when pay and timekeeping practices don’t comport with wage and hour laws. We’ll provide overviews of each case...more
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that time spent booting up computers for call center employees at the beginning of their shift is integral and indispensable to their work and thus compensable under federal...more
The issue of working time, especially the issue of preliminary and postliminary activities and what activities are compensable, haunts me as a practitioner and is confusing for employers....more
Earlier this week, the Ninth Circuit held that computer start-up time is compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) where computer usage is an “integral and indispensable” part of an employee’s duties. More...more
California’s Legislature recently ended another busy session, sending a slew of new employee-friendly bills to Governor Gavin Newsom, who was not stingy with his pen....more
Following the end of the 2022 California legislative session, a slew of new bills was dropped on California Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk with a deadline of Sept. 30 for him to either sign or veto the legislation....more
On September 29 and 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than one hundred new pieces of legislation, several of which directly affect California employers. In addition to several California Division of...more
On September 29, 2022, California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1601, which requires an employer of customer service employees in a call center to comply with the California Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (Cal/WARN)...more
This week’s Update features stories detailing recent fourth quarter earnings releases by TripAdvisor, Airbnb, Marriott and Sabre. Enjoy....more