Wage and hour lawsuits were up in 2013, and according to John Thompson on Fisher & Phillips’ blog, and 2014 will be no different. But instead of focusing on what could happen in the future, Thompson suggests companies turn their attention to what can be done in the present to comply with current standards and practices.
1. Analyze Wages
Ensure that nonexempt employees are being paid at least the minimum wage. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act rate is $7.25 an hour, but several states require more compensation, and just raised their minimums at the beginning of this month. Overtime should also be analyzed carefully—make sure the company is paying for any time above and beyond the regular workday that is properly identified. This can include work done at other job locations or sites. It’s also good practice to ensure bonuses, commissions, on-call pay, shift differentials, incentives and other kinds of payments are being properly computed in both the regular pay and overtime wages, warns Thompson.
