Most people are familiar with the regular 5-day, 40-hour workweek. Did you know there are alternatives to this “standard” schedule, including the popular 9/80 schedule?  Although this schedule can provide increased work-life balance and flexibility for your employees, it has some serious pitfalls that can be costly for your agency.  Read more about these common

hourglass-small-copy.jpgWith labor negotiations beginning, many public agencies need to take a fresh look at how they are defining their overtime obligations in their labor agreements.  Simple changes in language can clarify the intent of the parties, avoid costly interpretive disputes and lawsuits, and assist the agency in paying employees their correct wages.

When reviewing overtime

hourglass-small.jpgWhat is the Section 7(k) Exemption?

Unless an overtime exemption applies, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay their employees overtime compensation for any work performed in excess of 40 hours in a workweek, defined as seven consecutive days.  While the white collar overtime exemptions (administrative, executive and professional) set forth in

hourglass-small copy.jpgThis article was reviewed in May 2021 and is up-to-date.

Many public employers utilize 9/80 work schedules for non-exempt employees.  A 9/80 work schedule is essentially a two-workweek schedule of eight 9-hour days, one 8-hour day, and one day off.  However, once the 9/80 work schedule is implemented, there are a number of mistakes unsuspecting

hourglass-small.jpgA California Court of Appeal decision recently went against existing authority interpreting the FLSA and found an employer’s change to employees’ FLSA workweeks with the purpose of limiting the employer’s overtime obligations to “evade” the overtime requirements of the FLSA.  The decision has come under sharp criticism from a federal court.

Under the FLSA, an