Georgia Revamps Lactation Break Law for Private Employers and Creates a New One for Public Employers
9/22/20
By: Tim Boughey
The Georgia state legislature recently weighed in on the issue of lactation breaks by passing “Charlotte’s Law.” Before August 5, 2020, Georgia employers largely followed the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s lactation break requirements to provide an …
Spring Cleaning: Department Of Labor Scraps Confusing Categorizations Regarding Retail And Service Establishments
6/4/20
By: Michael Hill
As part of an ongoing effort to clarify the laws governing how employers may pay their employees, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) removed some outdated and confusing rules it had introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.…
U.S. Department of Labor Issues COVID-19 Guidance on FLSA and FMLA
3/20/20
By: Catherine Scott

As the federal government continues to grapple with questions from employers regarding COVID-19, the federal agencies have begun to roll out new guidance. The latest comes from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), which has issued guidance …
Securing the Bag: California Supreme Court Rules Exit Searches Compensable
3/2/20
By: Gregory Blueford

Shunning the position of the United State Supreme Court’s decision in Busk v. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., the California Supreme Court has ruled that time spent on the employer’s premises waiting for and undergoing company-mandated exit searches …
New Federal Test Relaxes Standards for Unpaid Internships
5/6/19
By: Zinnia Khan

In a recent announcement, the U.S. Department of Labor loosened the Obama-era federal test for determining if an intern should be classified as an employee. That is good news for employers, although there still remain other potential …
New Rule, Who Dis? DOL Proposes Changes to Joint Employment Regulations
4/8/19
By: Will Collins

On April 1, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced notice of proposed rulemaking, amending the DOL regulations addressing joint employers under the federal wage and hour law (i.e. the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”)) …
Department of Labor Unveils Its Long-Awaited Proposed Overtime Rule
3/11/19
By: Brad Adler

On March 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its long-awaited proposed rule that would revise the white collar overtime exemption regulations. In its proposed rule, the DOL proposed raising the minimum annual salary for …
U.S. Supreme Court Holds All Public Employers Are Covered By The ADEA
11/9/18
By: Brent Bean

On November 6, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-anticipated opinion in Mount Lemmon Fire Dist. v. Guido, 586 U.S. __ (2018), which FMG previously discussed here. At issue was whether the Age Discrimination …
Panera Assistant Managers Granted Cert. In Overtime Suit Reminds Franchisees that Duties, Not Title, Prevail
10/22/18
By: Brad Adler & Hillary Freesmeier
While retail employers have tightened up their wage and hour practices, there are still too many companies in the retail industry, including fast food and fast casual employers, that have failed to take inventory …
Is Wellness Activity Participation Compensable?
9/25/18
By: Joyce Mocek
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued an opinion letter on whether employees must be compensated under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for the time they spend participating in wellness activities. In this inquiry, the employer …
Here’s Your Tip Of The Day – Another Appellate Court Defers To DOL On Use Of 80/20 Rule For Tipped Employees
9/24/18
By: Brad Adler & Koty Newman
The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Marsh v. J. Alexander’s, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 26387 (9th Cir. Sep. 18, 2018) is important for employers trying to navigate the FLSA and pay their tipped …
The Side Work Struggle: Nonprofit Restaurant Group Challenges The 80/20 Tip Credit Rule In Texas Federal Court
9/19/18
By: John McAvoy
On July 6, 2018, a nonprofit restaurant advocacy group filed suit against the U.S. Department of Labor in Texas Federal Court challenging the rule that governs the compensation of tipped employees; specifically, the DOL’s “80/20 Tip Credit …