Skip to Content

Employer Law Blog

We address issues, cases and matters of statutory and regulatory compliance of employment law that can impact a business' growth and profitability.

Employer Law Blog
August 15, 2022

FLSA Settlements: Is the Tide Turning on the Requirement of Court Approval?

For the last 40 years, most courts have required court approval of settlements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for their releases of claims to be valid and enforceable. This requirement stemmed from the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ opinion in a case from 1982 styled Lynn’s Food Stores, Inc. v. United States, wherein the court concluded court approval of settlements was necessary under the FLSA to ensure their fairness.

Employer Law Blog
November 14, 2016

EMPLOYER ALERT: It May Soon Be Illegal to Ask Potential Employees to Disclose Their Previous Salary

On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts became the first state to bar employers from asking about an applicant’s salary before offering them a job. Bill S.2119, which goes into effect January 1, 2018, states that it shall be an unlawful practice for an employer to seek the wage or salary history of a prospective employee from the prospective employee or a current or former employer. The law does not prohibit prospective employees from voluntarily disclosing such information. Further, an employer may seek or confirm a prospective employee’s wage or salary history after an offer of employment with compensation has been negotiated.

Employer Law Blog
January 31, 2014

Missouri increases minimum wage to $7.50/hour

Effective January 1, 2014, most employers in Missouri are now required to pay a minimum wage of $7.50 per hour, which is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The only exception to the Missouri minimum wage increase is for those retail or service employers who have annual gross sales of less than $500,000. Finally, tipped employees must receive a minimum of $3.75 per hour from their employer, who in turn must ensure that the employee receives sufficient tips to bring their total compensation to at least $7.50 per hour.