Wage theft is a real and persistent problem throughout the United States, robbing individuals and their families of fair pay for the work they’ve done. A recent study put this in perspective by assigning a dollar value to this theft: $50 billion per year. And while that number is staggering, it’s probably...
Judge Upholds Right of Employees to Band Together to Bring Overtime Claims as a Group
Suing employers for unpaid overtime sends a strong message that violations of wage and hour laws will not be tolerated. But when numerous employees band together they can wield power in an environment in which workers are often at a marked disadvantage. A judge recently upheld the right of employees to join...
Legal Intake Specialists Sue Over Pay Violations
Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a common way that employers attempt to circumvent the nation’s wage and hour laws. This practice caught up with a legal services company when current and former intake specialists filed a lawsuit seeking unpaid overtime. The case illustrates how abuse of the independent contracting...
Ninth Circuit Rules Computer Boot-Up Time is Compensable
Does the time it takes for a computer to start up count towards your work hours? According to the Ninth Circuit, it does. And while this may not seem like a great amount of time, the minutes required to boot up a computer can add up to significant pay. There may be...
Over $1.3 Million in Unpaid Prevailing Wages Collected for Construction Workers
More than $1.3 million in wages and penalties was recently collected on behalf of workers who were employed on a public works project. The case involved what are known as prevailing wages, a term that is relevant when discussing pay on government jobs. Whether you work for a private employer or a...
The Dying Practice of Time and a Half
Once considered a staple of the American workforce, time and a half is under constant attack from employers who are determined to find ways around the law. Knowing how time and a half (overtime) pay should work is the responsibility of every employee. But protecting the right to time and a half...
Home Healthcare Agency Pays $604k After Asking Workers to Waive Overtime Pay
A Virginia home healthcare agency is learning the hard way about a fundamental rule concerning worker pay: employees cannot waive their rights to overtime. After illegally asking 50 workers to forgo time and a half pay, it is compensating workers for over $604,000 in back wages and liquidated...
Largest Ever FLSA Verdict Underscores Importance of Employer Compliance with Wage and Hour Laws
A $22 million verdict against one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers marks the largest award on record under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the primary federal law that governs minimum wage, overtime, and related issues. The lawsuit against East Penn Manufacturing Co. was filed on behalf...
Right to Sue for Late Payment of Wages in California
Paying workers on time in California isn’t just a good business practice; it’s the law. State legislators have long recognized that late payments cause serious financial disruption to a person’s life and essentially amount to wage theft. Workers who are not paid on time can recover monetary penalties...
Senators Probe Whether Pizza Hut, H&R Block, Others Avoided Overtime Pay By Calling Employees ‘Managers’
Giving an employee a fancy or creative title is one of many ways that employers try to skirt overtime laws. What they fail or refuse to understand, however, is that merely handing out a title does not negate an employer’s obligation to pay the employee overtime. This practice has recently caught the...
