Earlier this year, the Fair Labor Standards Act celebrated its 85th anniversary. Later this year, the executive and administrative exemptions will also turn 85 years old. The FLSA helps ensure workers receive fair compensation, while the exemptions provide important aid to employers. Whether you are an employer or an employee,…
Articles Posted in FLSA
How a Workplace’s Time Clock Rounding Policy May Constitute a FLSA Violation
A case from outside Georgia serves as a useful reminder to employers and employees alike regarding the Fair Labor Standards Act’s rules regarding “rounding” time a worker works each day. The overarching concept that you need to know is this: if an employer’s rounding policy results in an outcome where,…
Which Workers Are (and Aren’t) Exempt from Overtime Compensation as a Result of Their Executive Duties
In the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare asked the timeless literary question, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” Those lines highlight the truth that changing a name or a title does not, by itself, change…
When an Employer Can — and Can’t — Use a Statutory Exemption Argument as a Stopper Against an Unpaid Overtime Claim
In some ways, wage and hour law can be like the game of bridge. Each has various sets of rules that can layer on top of (or intertwine with) one another. In each setting, the difference between success and defeat often can come down to which side understands, utilizes, and…
The Ins and Outs of Successfully Settling a FLSA Case in a Georgia Federal Court
A pair of unsuccessful attempts to settle two Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuits in Georgia are very instructive about how FLSA settlements work. One crucial concept to know is that settling an FLSA case requires clearing more hurdles than, say, settling an ordinary auto accident case. Whether you are seeking…
When the Time Spent Putting on and Taking off Specialized Attire or Protective Gear Is — and Isn’t — Compensable
An internet meme about lawyers mines humor from the frequency with which attorneys answer questions with “It depends.” Truthfully, “it depends” very often is the right answer, as many legal disputes that appear similar may yield vastly differing results depending on any number of (or sometimes just a few) key…
Sovereign Immunity and Successfully Pursuing an Unpaid Overtime Claim Against Your Public Employer in Georgia
Sometimes, an unpaid overtime case is relatively straightforward. Other times, though, unpaid overtime cases can involve many layers and complexities, including issues like an employer’s potential immunity from liability. Whether you are an employee or an employer, it is crucially important to understand all of your rights and responsibilities under…
FLSA Exemptions and the Burden of Proof in a Federal Unpaid Overtime Case in Georgia
A recent unpaid overtime ruling, while not occurring here in Georgia, is potentially significant to workers and employers here who find themselves embroiled in a dispute regarding the applicability of an exemption to the overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The recent case involved the proper burden…
When Tolling Will — and Won’t — Save an Unpaid Overtime Case Filed After the FLSA’s Statute of Limitations Has Elapsed
It’s highly important to recognize all of the procedural demands involved in unpaid overtime cases. This is critical both from the perspective of ensuring that you’ve done everything the rules mandate and also from the perspective of taking proper steps to strengthen your position when the opposing side fails to…
When a Reduction of a Worker’s ‘Regular Rate’ of Pay Crosses from a Permissible Modification to an Illegal Dodge of the Requirements Imposed by the FLSA
Employers have several tools at their disposal to cut costs, including the expenses that go with paying their workers. The law gives employers considerable latitude in modifying workers’ pay if those workers have begun putting in longer hours but, as any knowledgeable Atlanta unpaid overtime lawyer can tell you, when…