Resources

Client Alerts, News Articles, Blog Posts, & Multimedia

Everything you need to know about BMD and the industry.

CLIENT ALERT: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division Sets Enforcement Record

Client Alert

In advance of Halloween, the U.S. Department of Labor announced the results of its Wage and Hour Division's (WHD) recovery efforts for Fiscal Year 2019, and it reads like a horror story.

The good news to lull you into a feeling of safety was that the 18,844 Complaints Registered was the fewest amount over the past 22 years or published records.

Even more reassuring was that that total number of Concluded Cases was the fewest since 2009/10.

NOW FOR THE SCARE...

the total amount of Wages Recovered was $322M!  This amount overwhelmingly surpasses the $260M average of total wages recovered for the previous five (5) years.  These wage recoveries do not include any data from civil litigation.

WHAT WERE THE VIOLATIONS?

As usual, the vast majority of enforcement actions were Unpaid Overtime - approximately 83%.  This includes the typical errors in calculating overtime for employees as well as the Misclassification of Independent Contractors.  

WHAT INDUSTRIES WERE HIT THE HARDEST?

The biggest increase in wage violations hit the Construction Industry, which saw a greater than 25% increase in back wages recovery from the previous year.  A similar increase struck Health Care, which increased just under 25% from FY 2018.  The Food Services and Hotels and Motels industries both saw significant decreases in violations from previous years.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Frequent followers of these posts know we highlight that, each year, the annual budget of the Wage and Hour Division increases to allow more investigators and more enforcement action.  Emboldened with a record recovery, we can expect more and more investigations for years to come.  It means that Construction and Health Care employers need to take a close look at their wage and hour practices to ensure compliance.

For questions about your Wage and Hour practices, the recent changes to Overtime Exemption Thresholds, the Increase to Minimum Wage, or any other Labor + Employment questions, please contact any of our Team Members.  

Jeffrey C. Miller, Esq.

Labor + Employment Partner

BMD Cleveland | 200 Public Square | Suite 3270 | Cleveland, OH 44114


NLRB Issues Final Rule on Joint-Employer Status

On October 26, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its final rule on determining joint-employer status, departing from its prior 2020 standard. The final rule provides that two or more entities may be considered “joint employers” if each entity has an employment relationship with employees and if the entities share or codetermine one or more employees’ essential terms and conditions of employment. The final rule goes into effect on December 26, 2023, and will only be applied to cases filed after the effective date.

WEBINAR SERIES RECAP | Employment & Labor

BMD Partner and Co-Chair of the Employment & Labor Law Group, Bryan Meek, presented this four-part webinar series on trending topics in employment law.

Ohio Legalizes Recreational Marijuana; What’s Next for Ohio Employers?

Recent Changes to the No Surprises Act’s Federal IDR Process

Proposed changes to the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution (IDR) process were recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management. The October 27, 2023, proposed rule overhauls the current Federal IDR process in an effort to create efficiencies and reduce delays relating to eligibility determinations and address feedback from interested parties and certified IDR entities.

What Inpatient Behavioral Health Providers Need to Know About ODM's New Draft Rule for Reimbursements

Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently released a draft rule that will transform how inpatient behavioral health services are reimbursed for some hospitals. ODM will migrate inpatient payments for behavioral health and substance use disorder services (BH/SUD) provided by freestanding psychiatric hospitals (FSPs) from the APR-DRG payment methodology to a per diem payment methodology derived from the APR-DRG system.