Blogs

Labor & Employment, people in an office setting

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 🡢

American flag between a city block of tall buildings

November 19, 2024

California Minimum Wage Initiative Still Undecided

The fate of California Proposition 32 (Prop 32) remains undecided as votes are still being counted. Prop 32 addressed whether California’s minimum wage would increase starting January 1, 2025.

Money Cash

November 18, 2024

Massachusetts Voters Retain Subminimum Wage for Tipped Employees

On election day Massachusetts voters were given the opportunity to vote on the Fair Wage for Tipped Workers Act, a ballot measure, referred to as Question 5, that would have gradually increased pay for tipped workers until it met the state minimum wage of $15 an hour in 2029. Voters rejected the ballot measure by a nearly 30% margin.

Group of people standing over a table in a conference room.

November 11, 2024

Arizona’s Minimum Wage Increases on January 1, 2025

Arizona’s hourly minimum wage will increase from $14.35 to $14.70 per hour, effective January 1, 2025. This increase is in accordance with the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, A.R.S. § 23-363(B), which requires Arizona’s minimum wage to increase yearly based on the cost of living.

Labor & Employment

November 8, 2024

Illinois Minimum Wage Increases on January 1, 2025

On January 1, 2025, the Illinois Minimum Wage will rise to $15 per hour for individuals who are 18 years and older.

Labor & Employment

October 28, 2024

Washington Announces New Minimum Wages for 2025

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries announced that Washington’s minimum wage, which is tied to inflation, will increase from $16.28 to $16.66 starting in 2025.

Columns

October 23, 2024

2024 California Labor, Employment, and Independent Contractor Legislative Update

With the 2024 California legislative year closed, it is once again time to summarize the new legislation that will affect businesses operating within California and highlight relevant action items related to this legislation. This Update discusses the key labor, employment, and independent contractor topics from the 2024 legislative session.

Gavel with scale

October 23, 2024

New Washington Ruling Endorses 30-Minute Penalty for Meal Period Violations

In Androckitis v. Virginia Mason Medical Center, the Washington State Court of Appeals recently held that the remedy for meal period violations includes three components: (1) payment of time worked during the meal period; plus (2) 30 minutes of pay as a penalty; plus (3) double damages on unpaid amounts as a willfulness enhancement.

Life Science and Healthcare and Doctors

October 22, 2024

New Rates for California Software Employees and Licensed Physicians and Surgeons

The California Department of Industrial Relations (Department) recently adjusted the rates that certain computer software employees and licensed physicians and surgeons must meet to be exempt from overtime requirements.

Pillars of a courthouse

October 22, 2024

The California Department of Industrial Relations Updates Its PAGA FAQs Following Legislative Reforms

The California Department of Industrial Relations recently updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding how claims brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) will be handled following recent reform legislation.

Court Gavel

October 18, 2024

Recent District of Arizona Opinion Holds Two Non-Compete Agreements Are Unenforceable

A recent District of Arizona opinion—Berkadia Real Est. Advisors LLC v. Wadlund, 2024 WL 4125533—found two different non-compete agreements to be unenforceable: one that was ancillary to the sale of a business and one that was part of an independent contractor agreement. Typically, Arizona courts look to the reasonableness of a non-compete provision in light of the totality of the circumstances to determine its validity.

Doctor Medical

October 15, 2024

California Raises Minimum Wages for Health Care Workers—Effective October 16, 2024

As we previously reported here and here, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 525, which provides a tiered approach for the increase of minimum wages for the state’s health care workers.

Gavel Court Judge

October 15, 2024

New Illinois Employment Laws Arrive En Masse

Employers with Illinois workers should be aware of several new employment laws and amendments to existing laws that were enacted during the state’s 2024 legislative session.

Money Cash

October 8, 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.

Gavel with scale

September 27, 2024

The White-Collar Wage War: Fifth Circuit Backs DOL’s Power To Set Salary Threshold

In Mayfield v. United States Dep't of Labor, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a lower court's ruling that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has authority to set a minimum salary threshold for the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Pillars of a courthouse

September 26, 2024

Ninth Circuit Holds Salary Basis Test Requires Courts to Analyze How Public Employees Are “Actually Paid”

Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressed whether staff nurses for the City and County of San Francisco (the City) were entitled to time-and-a-half overtime or whether the method of compensating the nurses satisfies the “salary basis test” in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which would exempt the nurses from the overtime requirement as bona fide professional employees.