COSGRAVE LAW / Legal Ez

It used to be that restaurants could not require that tips be pooled and distributed between tipped and non-tipped employees (e.g. servers and kitchen staff).  Congress has changed that Employers can now require tip-pooling IF… Each participant employee is paid the full minimum wage before tips (that mean no tip credits!) AND The employer/manager/supervisor does […]

With the recent rallies of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and other hate groups happening around the country, it’s important for employers to understand their rights and legal obligations when it comes to hate-speech in the work place, and why having a zero-tolerance policy for discriminatory and racist speech is important for more than just moral and […]

You may have read about the turmoil BOLI caused by suddenly changing its interpretation of overtime laws governing employees in manufacturing facilities.  If you’re not aware of the issue, check out our most recent Business and Employment Law Newsletter. In  an nutshell, for decades BOLI had been telling manufacturers to pay either the higher of […]

An employee who regularly is absent, arrives late or leaves early can be a headache for a manager.  Oftentimes the manager gets fed up with the employee and either writes them up or fires them for being unreliable.  However, employers must tread lightly before deciding to discipline or discharge an employee who misses work for […]

Starting December 1, 2016, the minimum salary requirement for overtime-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act increases from $23,660 annually ($455/week) to $47,476 ($913/week).  If the new requirement is not met, then the employee will longer be considered exempt from overtime.  To comply, employers should review each of their overtime-exempt designated employees to determine: […]

On March 2, 2016, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed legislation that will raise the minimum wage across the state through a first-of it-kind three-tiered system based on where the employer is located.  The first increase is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2016, with annual increases thereafter.  The following chart illustrates the scheduled increases: […]