It’s a rare day with the U.S. Department of Labor is assessed attorney’s fees against it for bringing a suit against an employer in bad faith. However, in Gate Guard v. Secretary of Labor, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that a trial court award attorney’s fees to a Texas employer in a
Ebola Discovered in Texas: What Employers Need to Know
As every national news program has announced, the Ebola virus has been diagnosed in a North Texas patient. This is the first diagnosed case of Ebola in the United States. According to reports, the Liberian national traveled from Liberia through Brussels, Washington D.C., to Dallas, Texas where he was eventually diagnosed with the virus. Given that
DOL Proposes Rule to Extend FMLA Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses in Texas
Last week the U.S. Department of Labor published a proposed rule to extend FMLA benefits to same-sex spouses on the same terms as spouses of other legally recognized marriages. This will confirm, if passed, that FMLA benefits must be provided to all eligible employees to: care for their legally married spouses who have a serious health
Wage and Hour Rules for Unpaid Internships
Schools are out for the summer and many college and graduate students are looking for experience in what they hope will be their chosen careers. Employer’s looking to provide that experience through the use of unpaid internships must understand the rules that qualify an internship for "unpaid" status or unwittingly create potential wage and hour
DOL Publishes Smart Phone Time Keeping App
Today the U.S. Department of Labor announced publication of a time keeping App for smart phones –the DOL -Timesheet. Employees can download the free App through iTunes and can be used with the iPad, iPhone and iTouch. The App is an electronic timesheet that allows employees to record their hours worked and calculate the amount of
DOL Clarifies Definition of “Son or Daughter” under FMLA
The U.S. Department of Labor has "clarified" the reach of the FMLA by offering an interpretation of the meaning of "son or daughter" under the FMLA. Under the FMLA regulations, a "son or daughter" is defined as:
a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stephchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco
DOL Announces Intent to Hire 250 Additional Wage & Hour Investigators
Following a GAO report that concluded that the Department of Labor inadequately investigated complaints from low-wage and minimum wage workers who claimed that their employers failed to pay the federal minimum wage, required overtime, and failed to pay employees their last paycheck the DOL has reacted.
This week, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced that the