Top Wage and Hour Concerns for 2017

Over the last several years, wage inequality and wage stagnation has been a drag on the economy. While the FLSA was enacted to provide workers certain protections, employers have not always abided by these protections. David Weil, the outgoing administrator of the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, has focused on enforcing these provisions, resulting in 2 million workers recovering $1.8 billion in back wages. The recoveries came by ensuring that workers were properly classified – whether as employees rather than independent contractors or exempt vs non-exempt.

Weil has expressed concern that Andy Puzder, the incoming Labor Secretary, will undermine efforts to crack down on widespread wage violations.

One example is “misclassifications.”  When workers are improperly classified as independent contractors, they are deprived of important legal protections – such as the right to earn at least minimum wage and for some employees, overtime pay. Additionally, many tipped employees were not adequately paid for their service. In fact, during 2016 along, enforcement actions recovered more than $5.4 million in back wages. With 2017, many worry that the federal government will pull back its enforcement actions. Fortunately, private attorneys can help individuals who are not receiving the pay they are rightfully entitled to. Our Atlanta wage and hour attorneys are dedicated to protecting workers’ rights, and are well-versed in the complexities of the Fair Labor Standard Act. For more information, or if you have any wage and hour concern, please contact the experienced Georgia FLSA lawyers at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP for an immediate case evaluation.