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Posts published in “Minimum Wage”

Compensable and Non-compensable Travel Time. Do You Know?

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There are many times when an employee may need to travel for business-related purposes. The latter span can include something brief, like a trip to the bank, or a cross-country flight for a business conference and depending upon the circumstances, it can be compensable time. I think the best way to tackle this is to take a look at examples as to what is and what is not: What is NOT compensable Home to work/Work to home (aka commuting) – An employee who travels from home before the regular workday and returns to his/her home at the end of the…

State Minimum Wage Increases 2019

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While the Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, 22 states and many cities/locals have set increases effective January 1st, 2018 with a few announcing a July 1st, 2019 increase, and New York with a December 31st, 2018 increase.  A list of each state/local, along with the new hourly rate is listed below; All rates are effective January 1st, 2019 unless otherwise noted. Alaska: $9.89 an hour Arizona: $11.00 Flagstaff: $12.00 Arkasnsas: $9.25 California: $12.00 for businesses with 26 or more employees; $11.00 for businesses with 25 or fewer employees Alameda: $13.50 Belmont: $13.50 Cupertino: $15.00 El Cerrito: $15.00 Los Altos: $15.00 Los Angeles: (7/1/2019) $14.25 for businesses with 26 or more employees;…

Tipping – A Fictitious City in China and Maybe on Its Way Out Here

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This past week, voters in Washington, D.C. elected to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to minimum wage by passing Initiative 77.  Wait aren’t they already receiving minimum wage?  Sort of.  While the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, the minimum wage for an employee who receives at least $30 per month in tips is only $2.13 an hour.   This does not mean that an employee who works a 40 hour week is only going home with less than $100 gross.  The employee is expected to receive tips that bring them up to the regular minimum wage, and should that…

State Minimum Wage Increases 2018

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While the Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, 18 states and many cities/locals have set increases effective January 1st, 2018.   A list of each state/local, along with the new hourly rate, and a link to the states determination letter or web page is listed below; Alaska: $9.84 an hour Albuquerque, New Mexico: $8.95 Arizona: $10.50 Bernalillo County, New Mexico: $8.85 California: $11.00 for businesses with 26 or more employees; $10.50 for businesses with 25 or fewer employees Colorado: $10.20 Cupertino, California: $13.50 El Cerrito, California: $13.60 Flagstaff, Arizona: $11.00 Florida: $8.25 Hawaii: $10.10 Los Altos, California: $13.50 Maine: $10.00 Michigan: $9.25 Milpitas, California: $12.00 Minneapolis, Minnesota: $10.00 for businesses with more than 100 employees Minnesota: $9.65 for businesses with…

Waiting to be Engaged, or Engaged to Wait?

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Not knowing the difference could result in a costly Department of Labor claim.  Maybe more costly than a divorce. If your employee is Engaged to Wait then that time is considered hours worked.  Conversely, Waiting to be Engaged are off-the-clock hours, thus not hours worked or compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). So what is the difference between the two?  I am glad you asked. Engaged to Wait is time spent primarily for the benefit of the employer, and how much restraint is placed on an employee who is waiting.   Let’s look at a few examples to…

Labor Law Posters – Do I Really Need Them?

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Yes you do! Whether you have just one employee, the organization is a sole proprietor or corporation, nonprofit or for-profit, there are posting requirements (for every worksite) that must be complied with, otherwise the employer will face some fairly hefty penalties should there be a check.   There is also exposure to employee lawsuits which can be more costly than any government agency fine. These days compliance is very easy.  Many office supply stores or even online, sell “all in one” posters, but beware as they are not all created equally and you want to make sure you are covered.…

22 States Increase Minimum Wage

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Happy New Year! With the new year comes 19 states changing their minimum wage effective January 1st, and another three states implementing a change effective July 1st.  While the federal minimum wage remains the same at $7.25 per hour, the minimum wage for federal contractors has increased to $10.20 per hour. The following states will have a minimum wage change effective January 1st; (click on the state name for additional information) Alaska 9.80 Arizona 10.00 Arkansas 8.50 California 10.50 Colorado 9.30 Connecticut 10.10 Florida 8.10 Hawaii 9.25 Maine 9.00 10.68   Portland Massachusetts 11.00 Michigan 8.90 Missouri 7.70 Montana 8.15…