by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 4/9/2018 Untitled Document When is an intern considered an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act? In case you haven’t heard, the answer to this question recently changed. In January 2018, the Department of Labor clarified that going forward, a “primary beneficiary” test will be used to determine whether interns are employees under the FLSA.
If you don’t think this is significant, think again. The FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime pay requirements apply to employees, not interns. “For profit” employers are not required by the FLSA to compensate interns for their work. Not surprisingly, some employers have tried to exploit unpaid interns by accepting free labor without providing an appreciable benefit in education or experience.
More... by Anita Byer, President - The Human Equation
on 5/19/2016 They’re heeeere. No, not a poltergeist, though for many they may be just as unsettling. We’re talking about the new minimum wage and overtime exemption regulations for white collar employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The long-awaited Final Rule has been released and is scheduled for publication on May 23, 2016.
The Final Rule focuses primarily on salary and compensation levels for the executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and computer employee exemptions, which are the FLSA’s so-called white collar exemptions. Since the Final Rule is not identical to the proposed rule published on July 16, 2015, let’s look at some of the differences.
More... by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 4/14/2016 It’s been over two years since President Obama directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to update the ‘white-collar’ overtime exemption regulations under Fair Labor Standards Act, including the executive, administrative and professional exemptions. It’s been nearly a year since the public was first given an opportunity to see and comment on the DOL’s proposed revisions. (The DOL received 293,389 comments.) Now, it seems we are one (huge) step closer to new white-collar overtime exemption rules becoming a reality.
On March 14, 2016, the DOL’s final version of the revised overtime exemption regulations was submitted to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Once the OMB completes its review, the final regulations will be published. After that, it’s just a matter of time.
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by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 3/9/2016 Are you a joint employer? According to the Department of Labor (DOL), instances of joint employment are increasing due to economic forces and technological advancements. Since joint employers may be held responsible for violations of various federal employment laws, like the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must know whether they may be involved in a potential joint employment situation.
More... by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 10/20/2015 The Department of Labor (DOL) recently gave a free lesson about misclassifying employees as independent contractors under the FLSA.
Those failing this lesson may get another from the DOL, but it probably won’t be free. Since the DOL is making an effort to identify and remedy employee misclassification, employers should be doing the same.
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by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 4/23/2014 Chances are there is a bully in your workplace, and that’s bad for business. The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) defines bullying as repeated mistreatment involving physically or verbally abusive conduct that is threatening, intimidating or humiliating, or that interferes with or prevents work from getting done. According to the WBI’s 2014 Workplace Bullying Survey:
- 27% are or have been victims of workplace bullying
- 21% have witnessed workplace bullying
- 23% are aware of workplace bullying
- 65 million workers are affected by workplace bullying
Though the frequency of workplace bullying may come as a surprise to some, the consequences should not. Workplace bullying typically increases employee turnover, decreases productivity, reduces job satisfaction, undermines morale, increases workers’ compensation costs and increases employment-related litigation costs.
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Tags: 2014, Business Strategy, Contractual and Other Liabilities, Department of Labor, Discrimination, DOL, EEOC, Employment Liability, Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, Laws and Regulations, Rules and Conduct, Safety and Health, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Workplace Harassment and Discrimination, Workplace bullying, bully, Title VII Civil Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, Title VII, WBI, Workplace Bullying Institute
Categories: 2014, Human Resources, Safety
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 10/2/2013
On September 17, 2013, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule that will extend the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage and overtime protections to most of the nation’s workers who provide home care assistance to elderly people and people with illnesses, injuries and disabilities. The DOL estimates that when it becomes effective on January 1, 2015, this new rule will extend the FLSA’s protections to nearly two million direct care workers.
According to the DOL, direct care workers remain among the lowest paid in the service industry because they have been denied minimum wage and overtime compensation under the FLSA’s companionship services exemption. The DOL suggests that courts have applied this exemption too broadly to encompass essentially all workers providing companionship services for those requiring care because of age or infirmity.
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Tags: 2013, benefits & compensation administration, Disability and Discrimination Policies, Discrimination, DOL, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Employment Liability, FLSA, Fair Labor Standards Act, Department of Labor, Minimum Wage and Overtime, Home Care Assistance, Direct Care Workers, Third Party Employers
Categories: 2013, Human Resources, Risk Management