Wage & Hour Developments
Wage & Hour Developments
The regulatory landscape, appetite for administrative agency enforcement, and judicial interpretations related to wage-and-hour issues are rapidly evolving. Our blog is a one-stop resource for federal- and state-level updates and analysis on wage-and-hour-related developments affecting employers. Subscribe 🡢
New Illinois Employment Laws Arrive En Masse
California Raises Minimum Wages for Health Care Workers—Effective October 16, 2024
Massachusetts Court Finds Retention Bonuses Are Not Wages
A Massachusetts state appellate court recently ruled a retention bonus is a form of “contingent compensation” not subject to Massachusetts’s wage laws.
The White-Collar Wage War: Fifth Circuit Backs DOL’s Power To Set Salary Threshold
Ninth Circuit Holds Salary Basis Test Requires Courts to Analyze How Public Employees Are “Actually Paid”
Eastern District of Wisconsin Rejects Two-Step Certification Approach for Collective Actions Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
In Laverenz v. Pioneer Metal Finishing, LLC, plaintiff asserted claims on a collective basis under the FLSA alleging the defendant’s practices violated the FLSA.
California’s Prop 32 Would Increase California’s Minimum Wage to $18 Per Hour by 2026
In November 2024, California voters will decide whether to raise the minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026 for all employers.
The full text of the proposition is available here.
Fifth Circuit Hits 0% on the Department of Labor’s Tip Credit Rule
District Court in Texas Blocks DOL Wage Rules Under Davis-Bacon Act
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking certain wage rules adopted by the Department of Labor (DOL) that had expanded coverage of the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA).
2025 California Minimum Wage Increases to $16.50
The director of California’s Department of Finance has certified that the state’s minimum wage will increase from $16 per hour to $16.50 per hour for all employers as of January 1, 2025.
Ninth Circuit Confirms De Minimis Doctrine Applies to Overtime Claims and Reverses District Court Judgment on Boot Up and Shut Down Pay
On July 10, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an Opinion in Cariene Cadena v. Customer Connexx LLC reversing the U.S.
Ride-Hail Drivers Lack Standing Under California’s PAGA to Intervene in Overlapping PAGA Case
California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 22
In 2020, the California voters passed Proposition 22 (Prop 22). Prop 22 allows for the classification of app-based drivers (who meet certain conditions) as independent contractors rather than employees. As a result, many app-based drivers (implicated by Prop 22) are not covered by California's workers' compensation laws because such laws apply to employees and not independent contractors.
Minimum Wage Increase and Other New Requirements for Renton Employers
The city of Renton, Washington, finalized rules to implement Initiative 23-02 on May 31, 2024. The initiative was approved by Renton voters in February 2024 and codified within Chapter 5-28 and Section 5-5-4 of the Renton Municipal Code (the Ordinance).