You may have heard that the Department of Labor has issued new rules for overtime pay. How will those rules affect people who work in higher education? In this post, we will address that question. Background of the new rules Currently, if you are classified as a...
Wage & Hour Laws
Retail and food service workers and the new overtime rules: a Q & A
Opinions on the new rules on overtime pay issued by the Obama administration are not hard to come by. Proponents say the new rules will extend overtime protection to several million more workers. Skeptics anticipate that many employers may reclassify affected...
Classification questions: an FAQ on independent contractor issues
It is of course a sign of our times for employers to contract out work rather than hire employees. This isn't all bad. Using subcontractors, temp agencies and other arrangements may make good economic sense for employers in some cases. But employers also often...
The income threshold for overtime: What is it for salaried employees?
As president, Harry S. Truman famously asked for a one-handed economist. The desire for clearer counsel is certainly understandable, given how often economists give conflicting counsel. And it certainly isn't only presidents who are affected by this uncertainty. In...
Worker classification: What are the most common industries for misclassification?
It's no secret that employers sometimes misclassify workers. Sometimes this happens because the law lacks clear guidelines on the difference between contractors and employees. In other cases, it happens because employers made deliberate decisions to misclassify...
Administrative assistants and the FLSA: When is overtime pay required?
Most people are aware that federal labor law requires overtime pay at the rate of time-and-half for hours worked over 40 hours. It is one of the basic building blocks of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Yes, there is an exemption from this requirement for certain...
Logan’s Roadhouse accused of not paying its workers minimum wage
On behalf of posted in Wage & Hour Laws on Monday, January 11, 2016. Logan's Roadhouse restaurants -- with locations in 23 states including Texas -- is being accused of wage theft. The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit claims that she was...
Restaurant accused of using child labor and denying overtime pay
On behalf of posted in Wage & Hour Laws on Tuesday, January 5, 2016. One of the biggest expenses to any business can be payroll. In order to lower payroll costs, some businesses may engage in wage theft or other unscrupulous activities...
Papa John’s franchisee pays $230k for not providing overtime pay
Companies that violate labor laws are generally required to pay their workers what they were owed, but rarely do the violations result in someone serving jail time. The owner of nine Papa John's franchises outside of Texas and his company -- BMY Foods -- were accused...
Buffalo Wild Wings accused of Fair Labor Standards Act violations
Many wing lovers in Texas may be familiar with the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant chain. The eatery has recently made headlines for alleged wage theft, including failure to provide overtime pay. Furthermore, the restaurant was allegedly making illegal deductions from...