On June 25, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued two opinion letters concerning the exemption of outside salespeople. In FLSA2020-6, the DOL opined that an employee qualifies for the outside sales exemption when deployed to high-population areas and events to sell products via stylized trucks (which is not itself a “place of
Commissions
DOL Releases Final Overtime Rule – Effective January 1, 2020
Except or Non-Exempt? That is the question (which should not be answered by eenie-meenie-miney-mo)! The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued its Final Rule today (September 24, 2019) regarding the overtime exceptions under the so-called “white collar” exemptions. As you may recall, the DOL previously issued a final rule in May 2016, but that rule…
Wage and Hour Preparations for the New Year
As 2018 comes to a close, it is a great time for employers to address lingering issues that have been on the back burner and start “fresh” in the new year. A new year is a great time to roll out changes for both administration purposes and for employees; new year, new policies. Here are…
DOL Opinion Letter Clarifies Retail or Service Establishment Exemption
In another of the six opinion letters issued by the U.S. Department of Labor on August 28, 2018, the DOL clarified in FLSA2018-21, that an employer that sells technology to merchants that allow them to accept credit card payments from mobile devices is indeed, a “retail or service establishment,” for purposes of the Fair…
US DOL Issues Bulletin Detailing Amendment to FLSA for Tip Pooling
On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act. As you may remember, earlier this year the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) sought comments related to rescinding portions of the 2011 Obama Administration’s ban on tip-sharing arrangements (see my earlier blog here). However, the Act eliminated the issue before the…
Equal Pay Act – Equal Jobs Does Not Mean Equal Titles or Equal Classifications
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) requires that all individuals are paid equally for performing the same job, regardless of gender. But what does that mean exactly? When are jobs equal? On March 21, 2018, in Berghoff v Patterson Dental Holdings, the Honorable Judge Frank ruled that jobs of males and females “need not be…
DOL Proposes Rescinding Portions of 2011 Obama Administration Tip-Pooling Regulations
Late last year, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, requesting comments related to rescinding portions of the 2011 Obama Administration tip pooling regulations that prohibit an employer from controlling or diverting tips (tips remain with the employee they are given to and up to him/her to share with others…
8th Cir. Holds Breach of Contract When Employer Retroactively Caps Bonus Pay
On January 5, 2018, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (this includes Minnesota), in Boswell v. Panera Bread Co. (8th Cir. 2018), held that Panera Bread Company (Panera) was not able cap the bonuses it had offered a group of 67 managers. In an effort to recruit and retain managers, Panera offered a large-one time…