Thanks to all of our clients and friends for such a great turnout at today’s webinar on the new DOL overtime exemption rules and the Administrator’s Interpretation on independent contractors. In case you missed the webinar, or if you just want to go back and review the materials and recording, you can find both
Wage and Hour Basics Series: The “Fee Basis” and the Proposed FLSA Regulations

As we have discussed in the past, to be eligible for one of the “white collar” exemptions (executive, administrative, or professional) or as a highly compensated employee (HCE), Section 541.600 of the FLSA regulations requires employers to compensate employees on a salary basis (currently $455 for white collar exemptions, but likely rising to around …
DOL Outlines New “Economic Dependence” Test for Independent Contractors
The DOL continues to deliver on the promise of its busy summer. This morning, Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) Administrator Dr. David Weil announced a new, 15-page Administrator’s Interpretation in a DOL blog post that stressed the FLSA’s expansive definition of employment and reinforced the WHD’s position that most workers qualify as…
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)…
The New FLSA Regulations: What Changed, What Didn’t, What’s Next for Employers
New FLSA Regulations Released, Salary Threshold Doubled
UPDATED: For an updated entry, click here.
Since last spring, we have been following developments in the oft-delayed Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations rewrite by the Department of Labor (DOL). The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has now completed its review, and the Department of Labor…
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…
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…
DOL Sends New FLSA Regulations to OIRA for Final Review Before Draft Publication
Since last spring, we have been following developments in the oft-delayed Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations rewrite by the Department of Labor (DOL). Yesterday, we received word that the DOL has completed a draft of the new regulations and sent them to the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs…