The US Department of Labor has issued new overtime rules. Effective December 1, 2016, most American workers who earn less than $913 per week ($47,476 per year) will be eligible for overtime pay (1.5 times regular hourly pay) when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Key provisions of the rule are as […]
Proposed New Regulations Would Raise Income Threshold for Wage & Hour Exemptions
Federal wage & hour laws require payment of overtime to all employees who (1) work more than 40 hours a week and (2) are not exempt as a result of the type of job they perform. Some of the exemptions are discussed here. The income threshold for the exemptions has been the same for many […]
U.S. Supreme Court Hears Security Screening Wage and Hour Case
On October 8, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument on a wage and hour case filed by employees of a warehouse business. The business provides storage facilities and order-filling staff for companies that include Amazon. Employees are required to stand in line and undergo a security screening after completing their work shifts and […]
What Are The Rules For Using Interns?
This is the time of year when students looking to explore a career interest or to gain experience are applying for unpaid summer internships. As employers consider “hiring” interns, they should bear certain rules in mind in order to avoid running into problems with the U.S. Department of Labor or the IRS. It is easy […]
Is a Secretary Exempt from Overtime Pay?
One of the common mistakes made by employers is assuming that office workers are exempt from payment of overtime wages simply because they are “white collar”. The typical scenario is that a secretary is hired at a specified monthly salary, sits at a desk, wears nice clothes, is given a professional sounding title, and is […]
Employment Basics for Small Businesses
Over the years, many start-up businesses have asked what they need to do to begin setting up their human relations policies. While small businesses often don’t have the wherewithal to develop detailed human relations policies – and almost certainly don’t have a full-time human relations director – some steps should be taken early on to […]
