Columbia Attorneys Pen Law360 Article on FLSA Lessons From DOL’s ‘Paid in Pennies’ Suit

Matthew Korn, Susan Maupin Boone, and Andreas Mosby co-authored an article in Law360 relaying lessons learned from the case of Walsh v. 811 Autoworks LLC, where an employer paid an employee his final $915 paycheck in the form of 90,000 oily pennies dumped onto his driveway. The prank resulted in viral social media posts, coverage in several national media outlets, as well as a potentially costly lawsuit.

They discuss the attention the case drew from the Department of Labor, and all of the wage-and-hour violations associated with the incident.

“Ultimately, this case reinforces that employers should remain professional even when dealing with frustrating situations and employees,” they wrote. “And they should avoid posting anything negative about current or former employees on their websites or on social media, which could also result in claims of defamation.”

Read the full article in Law360 (subscription required).