Labor Law Updates

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – the federal agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the workplace – recently released a draft of its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022-2026. It’s currently under review and subject to approval before being finalized. Let’s take a closer look at what the plan entails — and what you can do to strengthen your anti-discriminatory hiring and employee management practices for the years ahead.

Would it surprise you to learn that Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuits are at an all-time high? Much of this trend is due to unique and ongoing changes in the workplace, as well as new initiatives by the Department of Labor (DOL). As employers continue to adapt to hiring and staffing challenges, they need to be certain they’re paying remote workers for all hours worked, not misclassifying independent contractors who should be treated as employees, and upholding the latest minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for non-exempt employees.

One employee complaint. That’s all it takes to trigger a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation. And in most cases, those investigations are due to questionable time and pay practices. There are explicit rules regarding minimum wage, overtime pay, exemption classification and recordkeeping under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — and the DOL will step in if the rules are violated.

In this time of heightened government enforcement and growing employment lawsuits, anything short of total labor law compliance is risky.

Wage theft is an all-too-common complaint among employees, which can lead to costly lawsuits. Learn the key requirements under the FLSA and the proper measures for avoiding complications.