Understanding the difference between service charges and tips is critical for New York restaurant owners to remain compliant with state and federal labor laws. Misclassifying these charges can lead to legal disputes,...more
On December 17, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) released its final Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, also called the “Junk Fees Rule” by the Commission. For companies involved in...more
There’s been a lot of buzz about tipped wages as Election Day approaches – and hospitality employers will want to track key proposals that may have a huge impact on pay practices. Former President Trump and Vice President...more
BALTIMORE — Visiting Tech Companies Want to Expand Baltimore Presence- The latest Techstars Equitech Accelerator brought several innovative companies to Baltimore, with founders expressing their commitment to expanding...more
Starting July 1, 2024, California will make it unlawful for businesses to add any automatic service charges onto consumer bills. Service charges are mandatory fees tacked onto bills (often for the provision of services in the...more
The tip wars between hospitality employers and employees continue unabated. Numerous lawsuits contend that restaurants and other employers wrongfully retain or require sharing of customer gratuities, as well as violate Fair...more
New legal requirements in California and across the country will soon change the way businesses, in particular restaurants, must operate as the government seeks to eliminate the practice of “drip pricing” – i.e., advertising...more
Hospitality employers in California beware. Effective July 1, 2024, California’s Junk Fee Ban (SB 478) will go into effect, making it unlawful to advertise, display or offer a price for a good or service that does not...more
The Office of the Attorney General for Washington D.C. (OAG) recently reminded hospitality employers in the city who use mandatory service charges and other fees that they must properly disclose such charges to guests under...more
Back in 2019, I posted about the difference between a Service Charge, an Automatic Gratuity, and a Gratuity/Tip. I explained that a service charge is typically a set amount added to a guest check in lieu of a tip. An...more
Some restaurants in Atlanta, Charlotte, and other cities have begun adding a service charge to diners’ bills. The trend has grown enough in the District of Columbia, for example, that its attorney general recently warned...more
Employers in the hospitality industry have been through it all in recent years – from the devastation of the pandemic to ongoing labor shortages to an impending recession. These challenges and dramatic changes have surely...more
Hospitality employers who utilize the “tip credit” under federal wage and hour law may feel as if they operate with a bullseye on their backs given the multi-prong assault underway against the practice. Not only are you in...more
On March 18, 2022, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Compere v. Nusret Miami, LLC, a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), that Nusr-et Steakhouse properly used automatically charged fees...more
A Miami restaurant’s mandatory 18% service charge did not constitute a “tip” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore was properly applied toward satisfying the FLSA’s employee wage requirements, the U.S. Court...more
When writing his famous line in Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare clearly was not thinking of the Massachusetts Tips Act. The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently issued a reminder that, in fact, a name can be critical to...more
Although it may have intended for a customer charge to be treated as an administrative overhead fee separate from gratuities paid to its employees, a country club’s reference to the amount as a “service charge” in some...more
Massachusetts is seeing an increase in Tips Act claims, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) just reinforced that a lack of clarity in fee- and tip-related documentation may result in employer liability,...more
DOLE Issues Guidelines and Procedures for Work-Related Permits and Visas - New Order or Decree - On October 17, 2019, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) published an order providing guidelines on the issuance...more
Carroll v. City & Cnty. of S.F., 41 Cal. App. 5th 805, 254 Cal. Rptr. 3d 519 (2019) - Summary: Each alleged reduction of monthly disability retirement benefit payments for discriminatory reasons was continuing violation...more
Attention hospitality employers. Is that charge you add to a guest check a service charge (typically a set amount added to a guest check in lieu of a tip)? Or an automatic gratuity (such as a set amount for a party of 8 or...more
A service charge can provide a welcome boost to a business’ bottom line, but employers must manage and mitigate the risk of lawsuits, disgorgement and damages. Recent developments across the nation serve as a reminder that...more
A recent settlement between Seattle chef Tom Douglas and his restaurant employees highlights the potentially costly technical requirements of Washington’s automatic service charge laws for hospitality businesses. ...more
A California appellate court just held that mandatory service charges added by banquet facilities to their contracts may need to be paid to banquet service employees essentially as a form of a gratuity. The October 31, 2019...more
Beginning September 3, 2019, 100% of the service charges collected by hotels, restaurants and similar establishments shall now be distributed equally among all covered workers, excluding managerial employees, pursuant to...more