Does a 30-minute unpaid meal break still qualify under the FLSA if employees can barely leave the building? A new DOL opinion letter says yes – and the reasoning matters for any employer operating a large or secured facility. The…
Payroll
Mid-year minimum wage increases catch more payroll teams off guard than January changes do. Several state, local and industry-specific minimum wage changes take effect on July 1, 2026, including in Alaska, Washington, D.C., Oregon and several local jurisdictions. Minimum Wage…
A new DOL opinion letter addresses off-the-clock work, rounding policies, and the de minimis defense – and the conclusions should prompt a hard look at pre-shift timekeeping practices. The question came from a public hospital with roughly 18,000 non-exempt workers.…
Does dual-role scheduling put your overtime compliance at risk? A new DOL opinion letter says it depends on the specific facts of the arrangement. The question came from an academic medical center, but the answer applies broadly to any employer…
Maryland payroll teams have a hard deadline: Jan. 1, 2027. That's when contributions to the state's new paid family and medical leave program begin – and the rate is now set. In April, the state DOL reaffirmed that the Family…
A rule that hadn't changed since 1954 may be getting an update. The IRS has proposed eliminating the 1099 filing requirement for payments under $2,000, with the threshold rising with inflation every year going forward -- if the rule is…
The minimum wage for certain federal contractors increased to $13.65 per hour on May 11, 2026. The tipped cash wage rose to $9.55. Here are the details. First, it's important to clarify that the rate change applies to federal contracts…
The Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized a technical amendment restoring the 2019 overtime salary threshold to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) following two federal court decisions that invalidated the 2024 rule. For payroll teams, the amendment closes the…
A physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic in Hawaii recently learned an expensive lesson about overtime compliance after a federal investigation found it shortchanged 32 employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigated First Physical & Functional…
A new joint employer rule is on the table. The DOL's proposed standard could determine when your organization shares liability with another employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Migrant…
An Oregon restaurant recently learned a costly lesson about overtime and tip pool rules after a federal investigation found it had shortchanged 19 employees. The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigated Taste of India 1, a…
Wisconsin's new earned wage access (EWA) law puts a price ceiling on what providers can charge employees for each advance. Payroll teams offering EWA as a workplace benefit should confirm their vendor is set up for compliance under the new…
