Pay Now or Pay Later – Are Your Pay Practices Compliant with the Law? – Tucker, GA – March 20

Presented by the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce HR Leadership Council

Employers face an unprecedented risk of being targeted for wage-hour claims. Lawsuits and U.S. Labor Department investigations under the 73 year old federal Fair Labor Standards Act have now become one of the main sources of millions of dollars in employer liability. For an increasing number of organizations, even those that think they're doing it right and those that think they're too small to matter, it's just a matter of time before the wolf comes to the door.

To be prepared in case the wolf shows up, every employer should immediately review all pay practices for any potential vulnerability and should then decide what steps to take and how to go about making any changes. But such a review requires an understanding of the issues and the requirements and knowing the potential problem areas. For instance, many organizations do not realize the potential wage-hour disasters represented by:

• Not even realizing they are covered by the law
• Classifying workers as "independent contractors"
• Assuming that salaried employees need not be paid overtime
• Holding or deducting from an employee's last paycheck for unreturned items
• Feeling secure about a compensation plan because everybody pays that way
• Not really knowing whether every employee took a full meal period each workday
• Taking comfort in a worker's agreeing to management's pay policies and practices
• Excluding "discretionary" pay from overtime calculations

Perhaps management's greatest peril lies in not knowing what it does not know.

Wise employers realize that being sure about compliance is the only alternative. This session is designed to get this process moving by reviewing the general principles relating to things like:

• What does the FLSA actually require (and what does it not require)?
• Who counts as an "employee" under its requirements?
• What are an employer's timekeeping obligations?
• What is "overtime" in the first place, and how must an employer figure overtime pay?
• What possible dangers are involved in deducting from or withholding an employee's pay?
• What is really involved in an employee's being "exempt"?
• Does "compliance" always mean higher costs?

Our presenter, John Thompson of Fisher Phillips, will address these and other related issues and questions in this interactive session. John has been practicing law for 34 years and for the majority of that time his practice has focused on wage and hour law. We are confident that everyone who attends will learn something and benefit from the presentation. We look forward to seeing you.

Seminar Date and Location:

• March 20 - Oglethorpe Power Corporation, 2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA

Program:  9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (refreshments provided)
Cost:  $35.00 for Chamber Members, $55.00 for Non-Members

Registration is REQUIRED. Limited to 75 participants.

Click here to register online.

For more information contact Kim Davis Mitchell at (404) 378-8000 ext 223 or kdavismitchell@dekalbchamber.org.