Wage & Hour

  • June 13, 2025

    Trucking Co. To Pay $480K To End Unpaid OT Suit

    A trucking company agreed to pay $480,000 to resolve drivers' collective action alleging they were paid on a "per-ton" basis that ignored any hours they put in over 40 per week, a filing in Kentucky federal court said.

  • June 13, 2025

    Calif. Forecast: Court Weighs Blocking Trump Bargaining EO

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for a potential ruling in an attempt by six unions to temporarily block President Donald Trump's executive order that would prohibit collective bargaining agreements at certain federal agencies. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters on deck in California.

  • June 13, 2025

    Chili's Worker Says Bankruptcy Does Not Doom Wage Suit

    A former Chili's employee's wage and hour lawsuit against the chain's parent company should stay in play, the worker told a California federal court, saying his failure to list the case in his individual bankruptcy proceedings does not mean his case has to be thrown out.

  • June 13, 2025

    NJ Law Firm Accused Of Retaliation Over Maternity Leave

    New Jersey law firm Ragan & Ragan PC is facing a discrimination suit filed by its former collections manager in state court, alleging that the firm and its name partner engaged in a "calculated and malicious campaign of retaliation" against her for taking maternity leave.

  • June 13, 2025

    Ex-Labor Secretary Perez, Now At Mayer Brown, Looks Back

    After joining Mayer Brown last month, former Labor Secretary Tom Perez talked with Law360 Pulse about his latest career move, his efforts to help expand and enforce hate crime laws, and his work for President Joe Biden to promote the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

  • June 12, 2025

    Ex-UPS Workers Urge 9th Circ. To Revive State Law Claims

    An attorney for some former United Parcel Service workers urged a Ninth Circuit panel Thursday to undo a decision barring them from proceeding with some state employment claims because the workers memorialized them on union grievance forms, telling the panel the claims aren't preempted by federal law.

  • June 12, 2025

    Minimum Wage Efforts Reach A Crossroads

    Efforts to increase minimum wage by industry or by doing away with subminimum tipped wages are coming up against an economy in flux and the proliferation of automation and artificial intelligence — placing low-wage workers in a precarious position despite these gains, attorneys say.

  • June 12, 2025

    Shoe Co. Fails To Pay Overtime, Store Managers Say

    A shoe retailer requires store managers to put in work outside of the store handling staffing and operations matters on top of the 40 hours of work they put in each week at the store, a proposed collective action filed in North Carolina federal court said.

  • June 12, 2025

    Grievance Backlog Not Only Exxon's Fault, NLRB Judge Says

    A National Labor Relations Board judge cleared Exxon Mobil of claims that it mishandled a hefty backlog of grievances, but found the company ducked its obligation to bargain before ending manager fill-in pay for some workers and changing its performance assessments.

  • June 12, 2025

    Unifi Aviation Sued For Firing Ga. Worker After FMLA Approval

    The largest aviation ground handling service in North America has been sued in Georgia federal court by a woman who alleges she was pressured to speak with a male manager about her reproductive issues after requesting medical leave, then fired once that leave was approved.

  • June 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Calif. Workers Can Intervene In $10M CVS Deal

    Two workers can intervene in a case that reached a $10 million proposed settlement to end wage claims against CVS, a divided Ninth Circuit panel said, ruling that the duo asked to weigh in on time and have a significant interest in some claims the deal solves.

  • June 12, 2025

    Labor Group Backs Minn. Misclassification Law At 8th Circ.

    The Eighth Circuit should affirm an order declining to temporarily block a Minnesota law from taking effect that slaps steep fines on companies that misclassify employees as independent contractors, a labor organization said, because workers' wages will continue to be eroded without the statute.

  • June 12, 2025

    Navistar To Pay $450K To End Unpaid OT Suit

    Commercial vehicle manufacturer Navistar Inc. will pay $450,000 to resolve a former employee's collective action accusing it of failing to incorporate bonus payments in overtime pay calculations, thus causing workers' wages to fall, a filing in Illinois federal court said.

  • June 12, 2025

    Ogletree Launches Workforce Analytics Group

    Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC has launched a new practice group that will focus on using data-driven tools to advise employers on various workforce compliance and risk assessment matters.

  • June 12, 2025

    Home Health Co. Wants Aide's Travel Time Suit Tossed

    An aide's proposed class action alleging she should have been compensated for the time she spent traveling between clients' homes should be thrown out, a home health company told an Ohio federal court, saying she failed to show that the commute was related to her primary duties.

  • June 11, 2025

    Cleaning Workers Get Collective Status In Unpaid OT Suit

    Two porters put forward enough information to show they and other cleaners and janitors working for a building services company were subject to the same policies that resulted in them being shorted on wages to proceed as a collective, a New York federal judge said Wednesday.

  • June 11, 2025

    Vedder Price Boosts IP, Exec Compensation Teams In NY

    Vedder Price PC has bulked up its New York office with the addition of an intellectual property attorney from Vinson & Elkins LLP and an executive compensation and employee benefits pro from Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP.

  • June 11, 2025

    Houston Plumbing Contractor To Pay $102K In DOL OT Probe

    A Houston plumbing contractor will have to shell out $102,000 in back wages and damages to 31 service technicians and apprentice helpers it considered overtime-exempt, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

  • June 11, 2025

    DOL, EEOC Noms To Go Before Senate Panel

    President Donald Trump's nominees for key roles in the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will stand before a Senate committee next week, the panel said Wednesday.

  • June 11, 2025

    Worker Says Foodtown Underpaid Him, Permitted Assault

    Supermarket chain Foodtown failed to pay workers overtime wages or provide them with meal periods, and it allowed a franchise owner to choke and hit a general manager, a proposed collective action filed in New York federal court said.

  • June 11, 2025

    Drywall Contractor To Pay $824K To End DOL Wage Probe

    A Las Vegas drywall contractor will pay more than $824,000 to resolve a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into allegations that it failed to pay overtime wages to piece-rate and hourly paid employees, the department said.

  • June 10, 2025

    Pa. University Seeks Toss Of Sergeant's Retaliation Claims

    The University of Scranton wants a Pennsylvania federal judge to dismiss retaliation and disability bias allegations from a police sergeant who alleged he was fired because he had cancer, telling the district court that the worker hadn't put up enough facts to support some of his claims.

  • June 10, 2025

    Janitor's Wage Claims Must Head To Arbitration, Judge Says

    A janitor in California must arbitrate her claims that a cleaning services company owed minimum wages and didn't give rest breaks, a federal magistrate judge ruled Tuesday, finding a grievance process in an unsigned collective bargaining agreement still covers the worker's claims.

  • June 10, 2025

    DC Bill Seen As Latest Setback For Ending Tip Credit

    A recent Council of the District of Columbia decision to delay phasing out the local tipped minimum wage demonstrates apprehension about eliminating the tip credit, employer-side observers said, while worker advocates said they are still seeing progress on the issue.

  • June 10, 2025

    T-Mobile Worker Can't Upend Arbitration Order In OT Suit

    A T-Mobile technician cannot keep his unpaid overtime lawsuit in court, a Washington federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying he failed to show that he was duped into signing a delegation clause that mandated issues surrounding the arbitrability of his claims be decided outside court.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

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    A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.

  • How Decline Of Deference Will Affect Trump Policymaking

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    An administrative law regime without Chevron deference may limit the Trump administration’s ability to implement new policies in the short term, but ultimately help it in the long term, and all parties with an interest in regulatory changes will have to take a fresh approach to litigation, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How Trump Admin May Approach AI In The Workplace

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    Key indicators suggest that the incoming Trump administration will adopt a deregulatory approach to artificial intelligence, allowing states to fill the void, so it is critical that employers pay close attention to developing legal authority concerning AI tools, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Lessons Learned From 2024's Top FMLA Decisions

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    Last year's major litigation related to the Family and Medical Leave Act underscores why it is critical for employers to understand the basics of when leave and accommodations are required, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2025

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    While companies must monitor for policy shifts under the new administration in 2025, it will also be a year to play it safe and remember the basics, such as the importance of documenting retention policies and conducting swift investigations into workplace complaints, say attorneys at Krevolin Horst.

  • Ledbetter's Legacy Shines In 2024 Equal Pay Law Updates

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    The federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act turned 15 this year, and its namesake's legacy is likely to endure in 2025 and beyond, as demonstrated by 2024's state- and local-level progress on pay equity, as well as several rulings from federal appellate courts, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • Green Card Sponsorship Expectations Reset In 2024

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    In 2024, adjudication times for employment-based green card applications increased to about 13 months, prompting more employers to implement varied strategies to avoid losing talent and minimize business disruptions, a trend that is likely to continue in the new year, says Jennifer Cory at FisherBroyles.

  • Ring In The New Year With An Updated Employee Handbook

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    One of the best New Year's resolutions employers can make is to update their employee handbooks, given that a handbook can mitigate, or even prevent, costly litigation as long as it accounts for recent changes in laws, court rulings and agency decisions, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • 9 Things To Expect From Trump's Surprising DOL Pick

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    The unexpected nomination of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., to lead the U.S. Department of Labor reflects a blend of pro-business and pro-labor leanings, and signals that employers should prepare for a mix of continuity and moderate adjustments in the coming years, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • Wage Whiplash: Surviving A Compliance Roller Coaster

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    As the transition to the Trump administration causes mounting uncertainty about federal wage and hour policies, employers can transform compliance challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth by taking key steps to comply with stricter state and local requirements, says Lee Jacobs at Barclay Damon.

  • What May Have Led Calif. Voters To Reject Min. Wage Hike

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    County-specific election results for California’s ballot measure that would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $18 show that last year's introduction of a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers may have influenced voters’ narrow rejection of the measure, says Stephen Bronars​​​​​​​ at Edgeworth Economics.

  • Every Dog Has Its Sick Day: Inside NYC's Pet Leave Bill

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    In what would be a first-of-its-kind law for a major metropolitan area, a recent proposal would amend New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act to include animal care as an accepted use of sick leave — and employers may not think it's the cat's meow, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • 7th Circ. Travel Time Ruling Has Far-Reaching Implications

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    In a case of first impression, the Seventh Circuit’s recent holding in Walters v. Professional Labor Group will have significant implications for employers that must now provide travel time compensation for employees on overnight assignments away from home, says Anthony Sbardellati at Akerman.