We have kept you up to speed on Martin v. Spring Break ’83 Productions, L.L.C., here and then here, a Fifth Circuit case in which the Fifth Circuit approved a private settlement of employees’ claims for unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"). More specifically, the court held that parties could privately

We hope you enjoyed our five-part series last week addressing the Top 5 Holiday Headaches for Employers. Due to popular demand, we have compiled this series into an eBook for you and have added a special bonus: Three FMLA Stocking Stuffers: How to Avoid a Big Lump of Coal
Continue Reading ‘Tis the Season For Holiday Workplace Issues – Download our Holiday eBook with FMLA Stocking Stuffer – “Three FMLA Holiday Stocking Stuffers: How to Avoid a Big Lump of Coal”

Many employees believe they are entitled to holiday pay, even if they do not work on the holiday. This is not the case. In fact, neither the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) nor most state laws, including Ohio, require a private employer to pay hourly employees for working or not working on holidays (federal or otherwise).
Continue Reading ‘Tis the Season for Holiday Workplace Issues. Day 4 – Holiday Pay and How Not to Get Scrooged by the FLSA

In September, we told you about the Sixth Circuit’s decision in Frye v. Baptist Memorial Hospital, Inc., where the court handed down, not one, but two favorable rulings for employers in an FLSA collective action. First, the court held that automatic pay deduction policies for unpaid meal breaks do not per se violate the

As you might recall, in August we blogged on Martin v. Spring Break ’83 Productions, LLC, a case involving the blockbuster movie “Spring Break ’83” [stated with sarcasm], where the Fifth Circuit became the first federal appellate court to enforce a private FLSA settlement. In that blog, available here, we crossed our fingers and hoped the Fifth Circuit’s decision would come to a jurisdiction near you. Well, that hope is one step closer to reality as the plaintiffs/appellants – now the Petitioners – filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari (the “Petition”) and asked the United States Supreme Court to review the case.
Continue Reading Martin v. Spring Break ’83 Productions, LLC … the Sequel or Part Deux? The Supreme Court is Asked to Review Whether a Private Settlement Agreement Dismissing FLSA Claims is Enforceable

As we begin the final quarter of 2012, employers are reminded that effective January 1, 2013, Ohio’s minimum wage rate will increase by $.15 cents per hour, from $7.70 to $7.85 for non-tipped employees and by $.08 cents per hour, from $3.85 per hour to $3.93 per hour, excluding tips. The increased minimum wage applies

In Frye v. Baptist Memorial Hospital, Inc., the United States District Court for the Sixth Circuit handed down not one, but two favorable rulings for employers in an FLSA collective action.
Continue Reading The Sixth Circuit Gives Employers a “Twofer”: An Employer’s Automatic Pay Deduction Policy Does Not Automatically Violate the FLSA and a Class Plaintiff Must “Commence” Suit

In a highly anticipated decision under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the United States Supreme Court handed down a big win on Tuesday for the pharmaceutical industry when the Court found pharmaceutical sales representatives are covered by the outside sales exemption in Christopher v. Smith Kline Beecham Corp. We covered in previous posts the