Reviewing The Landscape For Wage And Hour Issues In '13

With an employer-employee relations agenda set by the new Congress, employers should know what to expect in the field of wage and hour laws. Wage and hour laws, and their accompanying regulations, already provide the basis for an ever-growing number of employment-related lawsuits. While the nature and number of the possible developments are practically unlimited, here is a list of some of the likely items on the horizon: 

• Minimum wages
• Exempt employee salary increases and paid-leave requirements
• Increases to the overtime pay rate and reduction-in-hour threshold
• Continued aggressive government enforcement
• Repeal of the home companion and live-in domestic service exemptions
• Revival of “Right to Know” requirements 

Employers should always maintain a high level of awareness of the current state of wage and hour issues. Given the changes that are likely to be considered in 2013, it is critically important to be on alert to ensure they are in compliance with these many, far-ranging wage and hour requirements.

This article appeared in the January 3, 2013 issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.