As a result of Hurricane Sandy, many businesses in New York and New Jersey had to stop their operations for a considerable period of time. Now that many employees are returning back to work, they are asking whether they should be paid for the days when their offices were closed…
Articles Posted in Wage & Hour Law
The Third Circuit Holds Parent Company Not Responsible For Wholly-Owned Subsidiary’s Overtime Violations
The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit was recently asked if a parent company is responsible for overtime violations committed by its subsidiary. The lawsuit, In re Enterprise Rent-A-Car Wage & Hour Employment Practices Litigation, was brought by a group of assistant branch managers who worked for various locations…
Supreme Court Rules Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives Not Entitled to Overtime Pay
Last month, the United States Supreme Court ruled that sales representatives working for pharmaceutical companies are not entitled to receive overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA is a federal law that requires companies to pay employees most of their employees overtime at the rate of…
Novartis Settles Class Action Overtime Lawsuit for $99 Million
Earlier this year, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation agreed to a $99 million settlement of a class action overtime lawsuit brought by its sales representatives. The settlement is still subject to final approval by a judge. A final hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for May 31, 2012. Novartis, an affiliate…
New Jersey Judge Refuses to Seal Settlement Agreement in Overtime Lawsuit
Earlier this year, a New Jersey Judge refused to file the terms of a settlement agreement in an overtime lawsuit under seal. Specifically, Judge Jose L. Linares of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled the employer had not overcome the strong presumption of public…
New York Employees Can Prove Overtime Claim Even if They Falsely Recorded Working No Overtime
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Court recently ruled that an employee who follows his supervisor’s instruction to falsely report that he did not work any overtime hours still can pursue an overtime claim. It reversed a decision from the Western District of New York, which…
U.S. Supreme Court Rules FLSA Forbids Retaliation Against Employees Who Make Oral Complaints
On March 22, 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (“FLSA”) prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who make oral complaints about violations of the FLSA. The FLSA is a federal law that sets minimum wages, maximum hours, and overtime pay requirements.…
Minor League Yankees Play Hardball with Mascot’s Overtime Pay
Last Wednesday, a mascot who worked for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees minor league team filed a federal lawsuit claiming the team violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and state law because it failed to pay him for his overtime hours. Specifically, Brian Bonnor’s lawsuit alleges the team improperly designated him…
New Rights For New York Hotel and Restaurant Employees
Starting on January 1, 2011, New York employees in the Hotel and Restaurant Industries have new rights and legal protections under New York’s Hospitality Wage Order. While there are numerous changes to the law, the following describes some of the more noteworthy changes. Changes to Minimum Wage The new law…
New York Passes Wage Theft Protection Act
On December 13, 2010, New York State Governor David A. Paterson signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act (“WTPA”) into law. The WTPA is intended to help protect employees working in New York against violations of their wage and hour law rights. The WTPA requires employers to provide information to employees…