Looking back at 2021 and ahead to 2022
FLSA and Wage and Hour Issues for Restaurants
#WorkforceWednesday: Mandatory Vaccination, Tipped Worker Rule, and SCOTUS Rules Against Organized Labor - Employment Law This Week®
Reporting Cash Tips to the IRS [More with McGlinchey, Ep. 24]
#WorkforceWednesday: EEOC Withdraws, DOL Rolls Back, and OSHA Expands - Employment Law This Week®
Employment Law Now IV-86- 3 Quick Hits: FFCRA Extension, Trump Executive Order, and New DOL Tipping Rule
II-36- Holiday Party Tips, the 2018/2019 Federal Regulatory Agenda, and Noteworthy Cases On Suing and Being Sued
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on June 3, 2025, signed House Bill (HB) 25-1208 into law in an effort to alleviate economic stress on the restaurant industry in Colorado by permitting localities to reduce the minimum wage for...more
New York restaurant owners must navigate complex tip pooling and tip credit regulations to ensure compliance with federal and state labor laws. Failure to follow these rules can result in lawsuits, back wages, and penalties....more
In the spirit of the season, we are using our annual "12 Days of California Labor and Employment" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on employers. On the tenth day of the holidays, my labor and...more
In the recent Massachusetts state election, voters faced a pivotal decision on a ballot initiative aiming to eliminate the tip credit system. The proposal sought to require employers to pay tipped employees the full state...more
On September 18, 2024, at the request of the State of Michigan and its attorney general, the Michigan Supreme Court clarified issues relating to future minimum wage rates and minimum cash wage rates for tip-credit employees...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
On August 22, 2024, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity (LEO) issued a press release on the heels of the Mothering Justice decision, about which we previously wrote, and which will drastically change the...more
Tips from Seyfarth is a blog series for employers, and their in-house lawyers and HR, payroll, and compensation professionals, in the food, beverage, and hospitality sector. We curate wage and hour compliance “tips” to keep...more
Almost half of the states, and several major localities, will increase their minimum wage rates in 2024, with a majority of the changes effective on January 1, 2024. The table below lists state and certain major locality...more
In 2022, Washington D.C. voters passed Initiative 82, or the “District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act,” which later became law in February 2023. As we previously reported, the law will gradually phase out the “tip...more
Executive Summary: On July 6, 2023, a federal district court upheld the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) regulations on the type and amount of work that tipped employees may perform while being paid the reduced minimum wage...more
In the restaurant/service industry, gratuities (To Ensure Prompt Service or “tips”) motivate individuals to seek employment. Everywhere you turn, even if you did not receive any real service, workers are seeking tips....more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years — and this past...more
For years, Kentucky has been one of the few outlier states that further complicated tip pooling by requiring all tip pools to be voluntary. While federal regulations have flipped and flopped with the tide of the changing...more
The California legislature has passed and Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a number of bills that address wage and hour practices and other issues affecting California employers. All bills take effect January 1, 2022, unless...more
Florida voters on November 3, 2020, passed Amendment 2, which will, over a period of years, increase Florida’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. The first annual increase was effective September 30, 2021, and increased the...more
The Department of Labor has issued new tipping regulations, to take effect on March 1, that make a few significant changes, some of which may be advantageous to hospitality employers....more
Florida’s minimum wage will increase effective January 1, 2021 as follows: - Florida’s minimum wage will increase by nine cents from $8.56 to $8.65 per hour. - Florida’s minimum wage for tipped employees will increase...more
The Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) has issued new and revised regulations regarding the state’s tip credit law. The final regulations greatly clarified some aspects of the existing regulatory language that had led to...more
Restaurants are getting hit with tip-pooling class action lawsuits. Now is the time to audit your practices, or, at the very least, review your tip pooling policies. This is especially important for Minnesota restaurateurs,...more
If January's minimum wage, tip, and overtime developments forecast what employers should expect throughout the remainder of the year, it could be a challenging 2020....more
On January 6, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont signed bipartisan legislation addressing rates of pay for restaurant workers. The Governor vetoed a previous version of the bill which would have applied retroactively and effectively...more
Q: I heard New York is changing its rules around tip credits for some types of employees. What do I need to know? ...more