Minimum Wage

Subscribe to Minimum Wage via RSS

Effective October 31, 2017, New York City becomes another jurisdiction making it unlawful for manufacturers and other employers to ask most job applicants for information about their prior or current salary, compensation or benefits.  Adopted by the City Council earlier this year, the new law seeks to eliminate wage inequality experienced by women and minorities…

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused widespread property damage and flooding, and some manufacturers may not be able to reopen their businesses for several months. To assist followers of this blog, I have set out below a few of questions which manufacturers have asked in the last few weeks. I have also set out links to the United States Department of Labor’s FACT SHEETS, which are an excellent source of information. Keep in mind that state laws may require a different answer than those below, which are based on federal law. Before taking action, manufacturers should have a quick conversation with the lawyer of their choice.
Continue Reading Hurricanes Force Manufacturers to Consider Impact on Employees

 The United States District Court for the District of Texas issued a broad decision today invalidating the U.S. Department of Labor’s attempt to amend the so-called “White Collar” Exemption by doubling the minimum salary paid to such individuals.  Read the decision here.

I have previously posted about the DOL Overtime Rule.  See “Time…

While local state and city governments have been working to expand the scope of workplace protections, the Federal government has begun “undoing” some of the aggressive advancements of the Obama Administration.

On June 7, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced in a brief statement that it was withdrawing two significant guidance documents – one with…

Some manufacturers may interpret the “Epic Fail” of Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act as a sign of stability in the labor and employment landscape.  After all, one thing which the new Administration and Congressional Republicans had in common was their seven-year pledge to repeal “Obamacare.”  When compared to the divergent views on other…

As has been our tradition, January is the time to predict the big developments in the coming year which will impact on manufacturers.  Notwithstanding my “Lawyer’s Shrug,” here is my take on 2017.

Minimum Wages.  Even though President Trump ran on a populist platform to raise wages for American Workers, I believe it unlikely…

I am a really big fan of the NPR radio show, “Car Talk,” where two Boston auto mechanics took callers’ questions and tried to answer them.  Since the November 8 election, I have freely adapted one of their signature phrases – I call it the “Manufacturers’ Lawyers’ Shrug.”  Basically, when I attend any event and…

As noted in this space in May, effective December 1, employees earning less than $47,476 per year may no longer be treated as exempt from overtime under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.  See “New Wage and Hour Requirements for Certain Employees of Manufacturers.”  Those manufacturers which have not yet addressed the issue…

In May, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its amended regulation regarding the so-called “White Collar” exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).  As a result, manufacturers may either have to boost the wages of some employees or radically change the manner in which those employees are compensated.

Under the FLSA, employees must…

The political discourse focusing on the wage disparity between the rich and the poor has led to efforts to raise the minimum wage for American workers.  Today, more than half the states have minimum wages above the Federal minimum wage, and effective July 1, 2015, the District of Columbia crossed the $10 per hour…