Every economist knows that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. That’s as true in the labor market as in any other area of the economy, but you’d hardly know that by reading the DOL’s publications promoting its new overtime exemption rules. For example, in a recent blog post, Dr. David Weil, Administrator of the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, set out to debunk some purported “myths” about the new rules. Reading this post, one is left with the impression that the new rules will benefit pretty much every affected employee with no real burden on employers. Here are some thoughts on these “myths” and the “truths” that Dr. Weil offers in response to each:
Continue Reading Employer Concerns About The New Overtime Exemption Rules Aren’t A Myth
Wage & Hour Division
Answering Your Questions about the New FLSA Regulations [Wage & Hour FAQ]
As you undoubtedly know by now, the Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD) finally announced its long-promised proposal to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Regulations and, in particular, those governing the “white collar” exemption for executive, administrative, and professional employees. For our comprehensive discussion of the changes in the DOL’s Notice …
The New FLSA Regulations: The DOL’s Actual Proposed Language
We have been covering the Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division’s (WHD) finally released proposal to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which was published last week. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is lengthy, clocking in at 295 pages, nearly all of which (285+) constitute a preamble. Those 295 pages have plenty…
The DOL’s Surprising Conclusion about Employers in the New FLSA Regulations
Last week, the Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD) finally announced its long-promised proposal to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Regulations and, in particular, those governing the “white collar” exemption for executive, administrative, and professional employees. For our comprehensive discussion of the changes in the DOL’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)…
Are You in the DOL’s Crosshairs? Statistics Give Warning to Retail, Hospitality Employers
Last week, the Department of Labor posted a new blog post from Wage and Hour Division Administrator Dr. David Weil highlighting the DOL’s wage and hour enforcement efforts. Dr. Weil’s statement that the DOL recovered “over $240 million owed to more than 270,000 workers nationwide in fiscal year 2014 alone” sent me digging in…
DOL Wage and Hour Division to “Clarify” FLSA Independent Contractor Definition
The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division expanded its already busy agenda, announcing upcoming guidance on the Fair Labor Standards Act’s definition of “independent contractor.” WHD Administrator David Weil, speaking at New York University School of Law’s 68th Annual Conference on Labor, disclosed during his keynote address that his office would soon issue an…
Department of Labor Seeks Information about Employees’ Use of Smartphones
The Obama Administration used the occasion of Memorial Day weekend to release its required Semiannual Regulatory Agenda. The Agenda, which is not binding on the DOL, lists a number of items including two specifically related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). One of them is the “white collar” overtime exemption rules that we…
Department of Labor Says “Transparent Government” Begins With…Transparent Data about Businesses?
We’ve reached almost the end of April, and the long delayed, new FLSA regulations are still percolating somewhere in deep inside the DOL. So what has the agency been up to instead? Last month, as part of the annual “Sunshine Week” spotlighting the importance of open government, freedom of information, and the public’s right to…
DOL Secretary Tells Congress New FLSA Regulations Are Delayed, Outlines Department Priorities
Last week, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez testified during a hearing held by the House Education and Workforce Committee to discuss President Obama’s budget proposal for the Department of Labor. Secretary Perez’s testimony touched a wide range of topics, most notably the oft-delayed FLSA regulations rewrite we have discussed in recent months. The DOL…
DOL Wage and Hour Division Announces Fiscal Year 2014 Recovery of $240 Million From Employers
Last week, Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) Administrator Dr. David Weil, who we have profiled in the past, announced on the DOL’s blog that WHD recovered more than $240 million dollars from employers on behalf of workers during fiscal year 2014, which ended last September. This total was down about 4%…