AFSA Extra Credit Podcast: Auto Remote Sales Compliance
Representing Commission Salespeople
We frequently encounter situations where employers classify their salesforce that primarily sells through telephone and internet means as salaried exempt employees, primarily for purposes of overtime and minimum wage payment...more
On May 13, 2024, the New Jersey Supreme Court in Kennedy, II v. Weichert Co., (A-48/49-22) (No. 087975), N.J. (slip op.) held real estate salespersons to be independent contractors under certain circumstances. Specifically,...more
The U.S. Supreme Court next term will address the standard of proof that employers must meet to show an employee is exempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). E.M.D. Sales,...more
We previously wrote about the procuring-cause doctrine here. As a refresher, the procuring-cause doctrine provides that a salesperson or other agent who contracts for a commission becomes entitled to payment of the commission...more
Psychologist Abraham Maslow once observed, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat everything as if it were a nail.” That sums up the state of commission litigation under the Massachusetts Wage Act:...more
Until recently, employers had the luxury of interpreting the outside salesperson exemption to minimum wage, overtime and meal and rest period requirements at face value. This is because the definition of an “outside...more
In a recently published appellate division decision, Kennedy v. Weichert Co., a New Jersey court addressed the issue of classification of commissioned real estate salespeople as independent contractors. The court ruled that...more
A Federal Appeals Court recently ruled that marketers who hand out samples and promote products qualify as outside salespeople under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), and are thus exempt from the overtime provisions of...more
Who doesn’t like free samples when shopping? But are the representatives providing those samples actually “selling” them so that they are exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as outside salespersons?...more
I have handled many commission cases, where someone sues, claiming they are owed commissions. The key issue in such cases is to determine if there is a written contract and then to ascertain what the vesting provisions for...more
COVID-19 has altered the way nearly every employee performs their work. Videoconferencing and phone calls have largely replaced in-person visits and face-to-face meetings in many workplaces. By extension, many sales employees...more
Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) gave car dealers welcome news. In an opinion letter interpreting the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the DOL found that incentive payments paid directly by the...more
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
On May 19, 2020, the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) implemented a final rule withdrawing partial lists of establishments that it previously interpreted as either having “no retail concept” or...more
On May 18, 2020, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new final rule to govern the determination of whether an employer qualifies as a “retail or service” establishment for purposes of...more
Section 7(i) of the Fair Labor Standards Act provides an exemption from the usual overtime pay requirements for certain commissioned employees of retail or service establishments. For decades, the U.S. Department of Labor has...more
In Jinks v. Credico (USA) LLC (March 31, 2020), Judge Kenneth Salinger in the Business Litigation Session of the Massachusetts Superior Court provided guidance on two important wage and hour issues. ...more
In early May, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that 100% commission-based inside salespersons are entitled to separate, additional overtime pay and premium pay for Sunday work. The decision, Sullivan v. Sleepy’s...more
Massachusetts law permits employers to pay inside salespeople on a commission only basis, provided that the employer guarantees at least the minimum wage for all regular hours worked. However, according to a recent decision...more
In a blow to employers, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently clarified the overtime and Sunday premium pay rights of non-exempt inside sales employees paid solely by commissions or advances on commissions,...more
On May 8, 2019, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) issued a unanimous opinion holding that salespeople who are paid solely on draws and commissions are entitled to separate and additional overtime and Sunday pay...more
On May 8, 2019, Massachusetts’ highest court held that retail salespersons who are paid entirely on a commission or draw basis, may nevertheless be entitled to additional overtime or pay for work on Sundays. The Supreme...more
Adhering to the “plain and ordinary” language of the state’s overtime statute and related regulations, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has held that inside sales employees paid on a 100% commission basis are...more
While certain sales employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements under federal and state laws, others are not. Getting it wrong can be a costly mistake, so employers are well advised to ensure their...more
While not binding nationwide, a recent federal court decision should put to rest any legitimate argument that dealership parts counterpeople are not overtime exempt under federal law. Based on the concept that Fair Labor...more