The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently issued a decision on remand from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding Evergreen Shipping Agency’s imposition of detention charges....more
On December 17, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) released its final Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, also called the “Junk Fees Rule” by the Commission. For companies involved in...more
There’s been a lot of buzz about tipped wages as Election Day approaches – and hospitality employers will want to track key proposals that may have a huge impact on pay practices. Former President Trump and Vice President...more
BALTIMORE — Visiting Tech Companies Want to Expand Baltimore Presence- The latest Techstars Equitech Accelerator brought several innovative companies to Baltimore, with founders expressing their commitment to expanding...more
Starting July 1, 2024, California will make it unlawful for businesses to add any automatic service charges onto consumer bills. Service charges are mandatory fees tacked onto bills (often for the provision of services in the...more
Wednesday saw the release of CA Attorney General Bob Bonta’s long-awaited FAQs on the California “junk fee” ban, now rebranded as the “Honest Pricing Law” or “Hidden Fees Statute.” The FAQs largely reiterate the very...more
The tip wars between hospitality employers and employees continue unabated. Numerous lawsuits contend that restaurants and other employers wrongfully retain or require sharing of customer gratuities, as well as violate Fair...more
New legal requirements in California and across the country will soon change the way businesses, in particular restaurants, must operate as the government seeks to eliminate the practice of “drip pricing” – i.e., advertising...more
Hospitality employers in California beware. Effective July 1, 2024, California’s Junk Fee Ban (SB 478) will go into effect, making it unlawful to advertise, display or offer a price for a good or service that does not...more
On February 6, a bill was introduced to the Illinois House of Representatives seeking to amend the Illinois Dental Practices Act to add provisions related to third-party financing for dental services....more
On Friday, December 22, 2023, FCA US LLC, the manufacturer of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram vehicles, among others, scored the latest in a series of victories for automakers over claims by consumers that “destination charges”...more
On October 11, 2023, the FTC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Request for Public Comment titled “Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees” (the Proposed Rule). The FTC said the Proposed Rule “would prohibit...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a new rule aimed at eliminating certain "hidden" and "junk" fee practices. The FTC said that these fees, which may be undisclosed until late in the transaction process, are...more
The Office of the Attorney General for Washington D.C. (OAG) recently reminded hospitality employers in the city who use mandatory service charges and other fees that they must properly disclose such charges to guests under...more
Back in 2019, I posted about the difference between a Service Charge, an Automatic Gratuity, and a Gratuity/Tip. I explained that a service charge is typically a set amount added to a guest check in lieu of a tip. An...more
As many are aware, compliance with price transparency requirements continues to lag. Under the final rule, effective January 1, 2021, hospitals are required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the...more
Some restaurants in Atlanta, Charlotte, and other cities have begun adding a service charge to diners’ bills. The trend has grown enough in the District of Columbia, for example, that its attorney general recently warned...more
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) released a draft administrative policy regarding tips, gratuities, and service charge requirements for employers. The new policy, titled “Tip, Gratuity, and Service...more
BARTON V MORRIS: Supreme Court refuses to award commission for £6m residential property sale - Mr Barton had made two failed attempts to purchase a property in Northolt, costing him almost £1.2m in forfeited deposits....more
Employers in the hospitality industry have been through it all in recent years – from the devastation of the pandemic to ongoing labor shortages to an impending recession. These challenges and dramatic changes have surely...more
In this September quarter edition, we cover: ..Oceanfill v Nuffield Health and Cannons Group - Restructuring lease liabilities; what’s the plan for guarantors? ..Dell and another v 89 Holland Park (Management) Ltd – ...more
On June 28, 2022, Rhode Island enacted new “tip protection” legislation. The law, which applies to all employers of tipped employees, prohibits employers from retaining employee tips, creates new requirements for tip pools,...more
For years, Kentucky has been one of the few outlier states that further complicated tip pooling by requiring all tip pools to be voluntary. While federal regulations have flipped and flopped with the tide of the changing...more
In the current battle to hire and retain good workers, employers have developed creative ways to balance employees’ increased compensation expectations against the costs of running a business. In addition, restaurants using...more
Hospitality employers who utilize the “tip credit” under federal wage and hour law may feel as if they operate with a bullseye on their backs given the multi-prong assault underway against the practice. Not only are you in...more