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Check the Checklist! Four Considerations When Hiring Your First Employee Posted on: May 13, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
So, you’ve started a business all by yourself. That is no small feat. You have chosen an awesome company name, your tax documents are all in order, and your website has been generating lots of traffic. Now, your business is booming, and you’re up to your nose in work! It might be time to hire your first employee. That will also be no small step, and there are many considerations to, well, consider. Here’s a checklist to keep in mind.
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Tags:
employment law, hiring, human resources, small business, wage and hour
No Private Right of Action for Financial Kickback Retaliation Under New York Labor Law Posted on: April 18, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Retaliation under New York Labor Law can take many forms, but we rarely hear about it in the context of wage kickbacks. This is because the statute only provides a private right of action to plaintiffs in limited situations. A recent case made it all the way to the Court of Appeals – New York’s highest court – to determine whether an aggrieved employee could pursue his suit for kickback retaliation under the applicable Labor Law.
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Tags:
new york, labor law, retaliation, wage and hour, kickbacks
A Primer on Employee Expense Reimbursements in California Posted on: March 08, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
In California, employers must reimburse their employees “for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties, or of his or her obedience to the directions of the employer." (Labor Code Section 2802.) Expense reimbursements can include use of personal cellphones, computers, vehicles, and more. The purpose of the law is to prevent employers from passing their operating expenses on to employees.
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Tags:
california, employee reimbursements, wage and hour, human resources, payroll
Prevailing Wages: Who Needs to Pay Them & What Happens When They Don’t Posted on: February 14, 2022 In: Labor & Employment
Contractors and subcontractors working on certain federally and state-funded construction projects should ensure they follow federal and state prevailing wage laws when submitting bids and paying their employees. Failure to follow these laws can result in steep penalties for the employers.
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Tags:
prevailing wages, wage and hour, payroll, compensation, contractors
Which States Are Paying More Money in 2022: An Overview of Minimum Wage Increases Across the Country Posted on: December 15, 2021 In: Labor & Employment
As 2021 begins to wind down, employees in many states can look forward to a raise in the new year as minimum wage rate increases take effect across the country in January 2022. This post lists the new minimum wage rates for those states, including information about tipped workers and tip credits.
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Tags:
minimum wage, payroll, wage and hour, legislative alert, tipped employees, tip credit
Massachusetts Minimum Wage: Things Are Looking Up Posted on: August 31, 2021 In: Labor & Employment
On January 1, 2021, Massachusetts increased its minimum wage to $13.50 per hour (from $12.75 per hour). The Bay State will continue to raise this wage annually in steps ($0.75 per year) to reach a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour in January 2023. Of note, there are numerous circumstances in which different wages may be paid.
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Tags:
massachusetts, minimum wage, wage and hour, premium pay, payroll
Wage Discrimination & Unequal Pay: Navigating Federal and California Laws Posted on: July 26, 2021 In: Labor & Employment
Although it has been over 50 years since the enactment of the federal Equal Pay Act, closing the wage gap between men and women remains a focal point for state and federal legislatures alike, with varying degrees of success. Measures such as the Paycheck Fairness Act have been repeatedly introduced to the United States Congress (and have failed to advance as recently as last month). In contrast, California has pushed ahead in recent years with sweeping changes to its own version of the Equal Pay Act.
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Tags:
wage discrimination, equal pay, cepa, payroll, wage and hour, california
Employers Should ‘Pay’ Attention to Recent Fifth Circuit Case About Equal Pay Act Requirements Posted on: March 05, 2021 In: Labor & Employment
A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit serves as a reminder that an employer should be prepared to justify any pay differential between male and female employees. Most employers are aware that the Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. Employees’ jobs that are being compared must require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and must be performed under similar working conditions.
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Tags:
equal pay, equal pay act, fifth circuit, title vii, wage and hour, pay discrimination
What Labor & Employment Changes to Expect Under The Biden Administration Posted on: March 01, 2021 In: Labor & Employment
Throughout his campaign and first weeks in the White House, President Biden has laid out plans to promote an ambitious labor and employment agenda during his administration. We expect President Biden’s agenda to continue to be crafted though his issuance and repeal of Executive Orders, and will further advanced through the his cabinet picks and agency appointees. This post includes a top-level summary of key labor and employment changes from the Biden Administration that we are following.
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Tags:
biden administration, wage and hour, discrimination, labor law, employment law, eeoc, osha, nlrb
Cooks and Dishwashers Can Share in Servers’ Tips Under DOL Final Rule Posted on: December 29, 2020 In: Labor & Employment
On December 22, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued final rules for pooling tips among employees of hospitality businesses, an industry severely impacted by COVID-19. Where an employer provides the standard minimum wage, the final rule established by the DOL allows the employer to establish a tip pool that includes cooks, dishwashers, and other back-of-the-house employees who ordinarily are not permitted to share tips under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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Tags:
dol, tips, minimum wage, hospitality, flsa, wage and hour, payroll
California’s Private Attorneys General Act: A Primer Posted on: December 11, 2020 In: Labor & Employment
In recent years, lawsuits involving claims under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) have become increasingly popular. Although PAGA is detailed and each case requires an in-depth review by an attorney, this article will provide a brief explanation of the Act.
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Tags:
california, paga, wage and hour, labor law, human resources
What Pennsylvania Employers Should Know About the New Overtime Regulations Posted on: December 07, 2020 In: Labor & Employment
For the first time in more than four decades, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has modified the Commonwealth’s overtime regulations. These amendments, which became effective on October 3, 2020, raise the minimum salary threshold for overtime exemption. They also modify the definitions of executive, administrative, and professional employees to make them more consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employers should review these changes and adjust their overtime policies as necessary.
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Tags:
pennsylvania, overtime, wage and hour, flsa, payroll

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