Earlier this week, the US Department of Labor (DOL) sent its joint employer rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval – the last step before publication in the Federal Register. The proposed rule for application of the joint employer standard under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will make…
As the end of 2019 rapidly approaches, many eyes are turning to several federal regulatory agencies where a number of important decisions are expected after the Trump administration released its regulatory schedule this week. The biggest of the big issues relates the question of joint employment status and its applicability under a number of federal…
As the calendar gets closer to 2020, it’s important for all small business owners to be aware and prepare for the changes that will come with the New Year. For example, half of the states in the nation have an increase in the minimum wage taking effect as January arrives. Over the course of the…
Notwithstanding the concerns of some over the generally more reasonable regulatory environment established by the Trump administration across the federal bureaucracy, employees continue to benefit from more effective policies. As a perfect case in point, we noted this week that the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) collected a record amount of wages…
Despite such reasonable rulings on overtime and the methods for overtime calculations proposed by the Trump administration, a number of states are dramatically pushing the overtime limits at the state level. On Thursday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) charged the state labor department with expanding overtime eligibility across the state, using the Obama figure as…
On Monday of this week, the Department of Labor (DOL) released yet another amended tip-pooling proposal. The latest iteration however, only applies to employers who do not take a tip credit. It will allow employers to pool tips from front-of-the-house workers and share them with back-of-the-house employees who aren’t normally tipped. This most recent change…
Earlier this week, the Department of Labor (DOL) released the final rule defining Overtime Exemption requirements for White Collar Exemptions. Effective on January 1, 2020, the new rule mandates that employees earning less than $684 per week ($35,568 annually) are entitled to overtime payment for work in excess of 40 hours per week. This particular…
Yesterday as expected, the US Senate confirmed attorney Eugene Scalia as the 28th Secretary of Labor in US history. Scalia, the son of the late conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, was nominated by President Trump back in July of this year after former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned the post. The party-line confirmation vote…
President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor as Secretary of Labor, Eugene Scalia was before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions yesterday for his confirmation hearing. Scalia, the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has been a partner at the management side law firm of Gibson,…
President Trump formally submitted the nomination of Eugene Scalia as Secretary of Labor to the United States Senate for confirmation this week. Scalia, the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has extensive experience as a management side attorney and frequently challenged labor regulations that he saw as too labor-friendly. A labor lawyer…
Small Regular - No Sugar Newsletter is weekly email with news and updates - it is like a virtual cup of coffee with DDIFO Executive Director Ed Shanahan