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Many restaurants save on labor costs by paying their tipped employees half of the minimum wage. This is called the “tip credit.” Tipped employees typically include servers and bartenders but could include other jobs too, if the employee customarily receives tips. Employers are permitted to take advantage of this budget-saving partial exemption to the minimum...

New laws popping up around the country highlight employers' responsibilities As wage and hour attorneys serving employees in Ohio and throughout the Midwest, we closely monitor the development of new laws that affect employees' rights. One trend that we're watching is the rise of salary transparency laws and bans on asking about salary history in...

Even before you're hired, potential employers need to follow the law. In many fields, the first few months of the year are the peak hiring season, and as the labor market continues to fluctuate, many Ohio workers are looking for new jobs. Job searching can be frustrating and feel like the deck is stacked against...

Know your rights as an employee - and be prepared to protect them The holiday season is ostensibly a time of joy and cheer, but it's also notorious for certain violations of employment and wage and hour laws. It's vital for Ohio employees to go into this time of the year with a clear understanding...

The federal agency is seeking to reduce the risk of misclassification On October 13, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule that would affect how employees are classified under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new rule would restore the multifactor economic reality test that DOL previously used to assess misclassification....

Understanding your legal protections under federal and Ohio law Both the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and Ohio state law protect workers who are at least age 40 from discrimination on the basis of age. Unfortunately, some employers incorrectly believe that older workers aren't capable of keeping up and treat them differently in...

Know your rights if you need medical leave. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives employees in Ohio and across the country certain rights if they need to take leave to deal with an illness or welcome a new child to their family. Unfortunately, not all employers follow the law, and employees are...

Your time has value — including travel time. Is travel part of your job? For many employees, the answer is "yes," whether that's every day or merely an occasional special assignment. You deserve to be paid for all your work hours, and that includes travel time that is part of your job. The general rule...

The "Speak Out Act" would be an important step forward for employees. A bill recently introduced in Congress aims to make it easier for employees to report workplace sexual harassment and assault. The "Speak Out Act," introduced in June 2022 by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, would make non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) unenforceable when workers...

Breaking down a common misconception about wage & hour law "You're salaried, so you don't get overtime." We hear this statement, or variations on it, all the time, and it stems from a misunderstanding of how wage and hour laws work. When people use the term "salaried" this way, they really mean "exempt" — and...