If you’re a salaried store manager, administrative assistant, or other “white collar” employee, chances are your employer doesn’t pay you overtime—no matter how many hours you work in a given week. But new federal rules that take effect this December will raise the overtime salary threshold and force employers to start paying overtime to millions more salaried white collar workers. Will you be one of them? Federal law requires that most employees get paid at time-and-a-half if they work more … [Read more...]
California Minimum Wage by City: Local Rates Boost Pay for Hourly Workers
More than 77 million workers in the United States aged 16 or older were paid hourly wages in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those 77 million-plus workers make up more than 58 percent of the American work force. In California, more than 9 million workers were paid hourly wages in 2014, representing more than 60 percent of all workers in the state.As of January 1, 2016, California’s minimum wage is $10.00 per hour. The federal minimum wage is, by contrast, is only … [Read more...]
Statistical Sampling in Class Actions: Supreme Court Approves Its Use to Prove Claims
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late March that plaintiffs may use statistical estimates to establish the commonality of their injury, a prerequisite to a court granting the plaintiffs the right to proceed as a class action. The 6-2 ruling is an important victory for all plaintiffs who rely on statistical samples to prove liability and damages. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion for the Court, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, Sotomayor and Chief Justice Roberts. What Happened … [Read more...]
San Francisco Paid Parental Leave: The City Leads the Way With Full Pay
Many San Francisco workers will receive their full salary for six weeks after the birth or adoption of a child, thanks to a new law passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The San Francisco paid parental leave ordinance makes San Francisco the first city in the nation to mandate fully-paid parental leave. The San Francisco law closes the gap left by California’s parental leave mandate. Under California law, employees who have paid into the state disability insurance fund may take up … [Read more...]
California Commission Pay Laws: Employers Cannot Avoid Overtime by Shifting Commission Timing
California commission pay laws are part of a broad set of laws, rules and regulations the state uses to protect employee working conditions. California employers must pay their employees a minimum hourly wage and one-and-a-half times the minimum wage for overtime work of more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a workweek. The Commissioned-Employee Exception to Overtime Certain exceptions apply to California’s overtime pay rules, however. One important exception is for employees who … [Read more...]