How Do Fair Labor Standards Act Regulations Affect My Organization?
According to information recently released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the number of federal lawsuits alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act has recently doubled. A large portion of the increase in cases is being widely attributed to low-paid workers in a variety of industries, including landscaping, shop clerks, restaurant workers, warehouse laborers and construction contractors. These workers are seeking thousands of dollars in back wages from employers who they say failed to pay the mandated minimum wage or to provide overtime pay. • This recent litigation is fueled by several factors: • Nonexempt employees often work more than one job. • Employees “volunteer” for regular work activities. • Employee gap time is not always considered. • Records of hours are frequently inexact. • Payroll and human resources staff are inadequately staffed or trained. First on the list is that employees can often have multiple jobs. For example, in a hospital setting th
