On August 11, 2021, the Minnesota Supreme Court held that it is for a jury to decide. In Hagen v. Steven Scott Management, Inc., (yes, this is the same case I just wrote about for rent credits being wages), the plaintiff argued that all of her on-call time should be compensable because it was
Another DOL 180… Who is a Joint Employer Now?
Great Scott! In another Department of Labor (DOL) reversal of its own rulemaking during the Trump Administration, the Final Rule, Joint Employer Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which had gone into effect (and I wrote about here) March 16, 2020, has been rescinded. Effective September 28, 2021 [UPDATE: October 5,
Minnesota District Court Holds Indian Tribe Immune from Suit under FLSA – Equal Pay Act
Back in 2016, one of the first posts I wrote on this blog concerned whether the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) applied to Native American tribes. My conclusion was that there was currently no clear answer in Minnesota. However, we were recently given a bit more clarity. On June 28, 2021, the federal District Court
DOL: Temporary Staffing Firms May Qualify for Retail or Service Establishment FLSA Overtime Exemption
Here’s one I didn’t see coming – the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Opinion Letter FLSA2021-6 today, along with three others (see my other blog posts), which concluded that staffing firms that recruit, hire, and place employees on temporary assignments with clients may qualify as a “retail or service establishment” for purposes of an
DOL Issues Final Rule Regarding Employee or Independent Contractor Analysis – Suggests Approval of Paying Benefits to Independent Contractors
*UPDATE – THE FINAL RULE HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN MAY 6, 2021.
As I blogged about a few months ago, on September 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule simplifying the test to determine whether a worker is considered an “employee” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or an
U.S. DOL Issues Opinion Letter Regarding Compensability of Voluntary Continuing Education Classes
On November 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued opinion letter FLSA2020-15 regarding compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for time employees spend attending voluntary training programs such as outside, ongoing continuing education classes (CEUs). The employer at issue is a non-profit hospice care provider with clinical
DOL Issues Proposed Rule Regarding Independent Contractor Status Under FLSA
On September 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule simplifying the test to determine whether a worker is considered an “employee” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or an “independent contractor”. In short, the proposed rule uses the “economic reality” test as the basis for whether a worker is
DOL Issues Final Rule Allowing Employers to Pay Bonuses Under Fluctuating Workweek Method
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published its final rule allowing employers to pay bonuses and incentives to employees who are paid a salary plus overtime on the fluctuating workweek method (FWM) of computing overtime (employees who are paid a salary whether they work few hours or many, plus 1/2 overtime
Department of Labor Clarifies Salary Basis Requirements for Per-Project Pay
So probably not super exciting or applicable for many employers, but, as I blog all things wage and hour, here you go! On January 7, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released Opinion Letter FLSA2020-2, opining as to whether educational assistants paid on a per-project basis can meet either the “salary basis” or “fee basis”
DOL Final Rule Updates FLSA to Clarify Perks and Benefits for Regular Rate / Overtime Calculation
On December 16, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor published a Final Rule clarifying whether certain benefits and other payments must be included in the “regular rate” for purposes of overtime pay. I’ve posted about this numerous times (one recently). Recall, a “discretionary bonus” must truly be discretionary in order for an employer to