An IHOP franchisee operating in North and South Carolina violated federal overtime rules, resulting in $95,095 in back wages, according to a recent DOL investigation. The agency’s Wage and Hour Division found the franchisee paid 33 nonexempt employees working as cooks straight time for all hours worked, including hours over 40 in a single workweek. […]
Wage and hour litigation isn’t letting up, and the latest data puts a clear dollar figure on just how much FLSA lawsuits can cost employers. A new report from Seyfarth Shaw LLP tracks how federal FLSA lawsuits are being filed and resolved, offering a detailed look at where that risk is showing up. FLSA […]
A remote work accommodation dispute turned into a wrongful death case with eight-figure liability. In Larkin v. Total Quality Logistics, LLC, an Ohio jury found an employer’s failure to approve a work-from-home request for a high-risk pregnancy contributed to the death of a newborn. The jury found the employer 90% at fault, making it liable […]
The Fifth Circuit recently upheld a jury verdict denying overtime pay – even after a court found the worker had been misclassified as an independent contractor. The decision turned on a key FLSA requirement for overtime pay: An employer must know, or have reason to know, that overtime work was performed. Manager Classified as an […]
A new challenge has emerged for HR: Employees are filing internal workplace complaints that read like legal documents. Not long ago, such complaints were relatively straightforward: An employee raised a concern and expected HR to address it. Now, many employees use AI tools to research employment laws and workplace rights, then draft grievances that look […]
A residential construction company in Idaho learned the hard way that unpaid overtime adds up quickly – in this case, totaling $293,698 in back wages. What started as overtime missteps soon escalated when a federal investigation looked into the company’s wage-and-hour compliance. Unpaid Overtime Violations Affect 56 Employees An investigation by the Department of Labor’s […]
As global hiring expands, Employer of Record software has become an essential solution for HR teams seeking to manage international talent and remain compliant with local laws. Often called an EOR, this model lets a third-party provider act as the legal employer for global hires, allowing companies to operate in new markets without establishing local […]
A California carwash has agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve “widespread wage theft” and other labor law violations, according to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO). The payout will reimburse 23 affected employees for unpaid wages. State Investigators Uncover Wage Theft Newport Auto Spa, Inc., d/b/a The Car Spa, is a luxury carwash in […]
A Little Caesars franchisee will pay $409,457 for federal wage and hour violations, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced. The case shows how payroll mistakes can turn into expensive liabilities when overtime calculations and recordkeeping controls fall short. Wage and Hour Violations Trigger Six-Figure Settlement According to an investigation by the DOL’s Wage and […]
Equal Pay Day on March 26 carries new weight for employers this year. It’s a day to bring awareness and legitimacy to the ongoing issue of pay inequity and the gender wage gap in the U.S., and a moment for HR leaders to reflect on how they advance fairness and pay equity in compensation decisions. […]
Who’s an employee and who’s an independent contractor? When making that determination for wage and hour compliance, businesses may soon have fewer restrictions. That’s because the Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a proposed rule on classifying workers, and it’s a return to a more business-friendly approach. If the proposed rule is finalized, the […]
Prompt. Generate. Post. That’s the new recruiting workflow for many HR teams turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up job posting creation and target the best candidates. AI tools can generate job descriptions, highlight benefits, and even tailor language to attract specific skill sets. But unlike human recruiters, AI doesn’t get legal boundaries […]
A Denver-area restaurant is paying nearly $62,000 after a DOL investigation uncovered tip retention and recordkeeping violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The case shows how a tip dispute can expand into broader wage-hour liability once payroll practices and time records come under scrutiny. Employers with tipped staff, shift managers and layered payroll […]
Breaks, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and nursing moms — guidance from the federal Department of Labor (DOL) helps employers make sure they are applying the rules correctly to teleworkers. In a Field Assistance Bulletin, the DOL addresses three important topics regarding teleworkers: The bulletin begins with the obvious: Employers must pay their […]
Some manager mistakes begin with an attempt to help — and then land companies in court. In this case, a supervisor supported an underperforming employee with attention deficit disorder (ADD), but his alleged “ADD brain” remarks kept her disability discrimination claim alive, proving even well-intended efforts can turn into legal risk. Employee’s Performance Issues Build […]
An employee asked for FMLA leave. Not long after, he was fired. He sued, claiming the termination of his employment amounted to retaliation for using protected leave – a claim tied to how his request was handled. In Pack v. CSX Transportation, Inc., a federal judge refused to dismiss the employee’s FMLA retaliation claim, leaving […]
