Washington, DC minimum wage is now $9.50 per hour. Also worth noting — minimum wage in DC will go up $1 each year until it reaches $11.50 in 2016. The new law does not impact the minimum wage for employees subject to a tip credit in DC.
Wage and Hour
You Can Avoid Costly Overtime Liability By Investing In Good Policies
The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that employers compensate employees for all hours that they “suffer or permit” to work. What does that mean? Basically – if your non-exempt employee works overtime without authorization, he or she still must be compensated. This is true even for the employee who voluntarily takes work home… More
Top Five Questions Non-Profits Should Ask About Their Volunteers
Now that summer is upon us, many non-profit organizations have begun utilizing summer volunteers. Questions often arise as to whether wage and hour laws require that these volunteers be paid. The answer is no, if they are truly volunteers. To be certain that they are, here are the top five questions every non-profit should ask… More
Top Seven Laws Every Employer Should Know*
1. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)– In brief, Title VII bars certain employers from discriminating against employees, former employees, or applicants for employment based on race, color, national origin, religion or sex (including gender and pregnancy). Title VII also prohibits harassment and retaliation based on the same protected characteristics…. More
Lowe’s Takes a Blow with Seven Figure Settlement of Independent Contractor Misclassification Suit
Lowe’s Home Centers agreed to a maximum settlement amount of $6,500,000 plus an additional 25% for attorneys’ fees to settle a class action suit brought by its installation contractors alleging they were misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees. Lowe’s, which offers contractors to install products purchased at its stores in customers’ homes, classified these… More
The Times’ Bad Timing Leads to Hot Water
The New York Times recently terminated the employment of its first female Executive Editor, Jill Abramson. It certainly raised eyebrows that she was fired after less than three years on the job. But the timing of her termination garnered even more attention when the public learned that Ms. Abramson had recently raised concerns about her… More
Obama Signs Equal Pay Executive Order for Federal Contractors
President Obama recently made two strategic moves designed to help close the pay gap between male and female federal contractors. First, he signed an executive order banning federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their compensation. This ban is similiar to the protection offered to employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Second,… More
Garnishing The Wrong Wages Can Cost You Triple In Maryland
Keeping true to one of our favorite sayings — No Good Deed Goes Unpunished — Maryland’s highest court recently held that employees who are subjected to an inaccurate wage garnishment are eligible to bring a wage claim against their employer in Maryland. Marshall v. Safeway, Inc. (Md. Mar. 26, 2014). That means that if the… More
You Can Exhale a Little On Wage and Hour Claims
As most employers know, wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are one of the hottest topics for plaintiffs lawyers these days. Employers fear these claims because the laws are complicated and do not credit good intentions. Even a minor violation can lead to major liability. And many plaintiffs’ lawyers try… More