An Oregon restaurant recently learned a costly lesson about overtime and tip pool rules after a federal investigation found it had shortchanged 19 employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigated Taste of India 1, a…
On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released a proposed rule for determining when multiple employers may be held jointly liable. For HR professionals, the proposal has significant implications for how your…
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has released its 35th annual report on health and safety protections for American workers. “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect,” released on April 27, examines the toll…
When most HR leaders picture FMLA retaliation, they think of a termination letter. But it can also come disguised as a "choice"— resign or be fired. That's what the DOL said happened at the University of Tennessee, where an employee…
Missed payroll is a federal wage violation. A Newport Beach construction contractor learned that the hard way; it was ordered to pay $468,505 after the DOL found 137 workers went without pay and overtime. The case broadens the usual wage…
A federal court in Colorado rejected SHRM’s attempt to overturn an $11.5 million verdict for race discrimination and retaliation against a former employee. The decision offers three lessons for HR professionals. Case Overview: What Led to the Lawsuit Against SHRM…
Hospitality employers in California take note: Several cities in The Golden State have minimum wage increases for hotel employees soon taking effect. In addition to the new pay rates, some ordinances impose benefit, accrual and notice requirements. Here’s how the…
Many employers claim they've cut back on hiring because AI can do the job entry-level work employees once did. But a new report from BambooHR tells a different story. BambooHR looked at five years of data from more than 72…
In Texas, a routine data upload in mid-March altered how hundreds of employees for the city of Austin were classified for overtime. That error affected payroll calculations and inflated employees’ pay. The result: up to double pay for some employees…
A single retaliation complaint to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) led to the overhaul of a company’s employment practices, including an external review of its complaint processes, reporting requirements to the state and changes to HR operations. The investigation…
In FY 2025, the EEOC secured $660 million for workers who reported employment discrimination – and most of that money was recovered before cases ever reached court. According to the agency’s FY 2025 performance report, the EEOC secured $528 million…
Hiring decisions often come together in email threads and quick back-and-forth with recruiters. That’s exactly where the problem showed up in this case. A technology consulting company has agreed to pay $495,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit filed on behalf…
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…
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…
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…
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…
HRMorning, part of the Rover Insights Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day's headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.
