Keepin’ It Real: Wage and Hour Issues in the Reality TV Industry

In September 2014, four reality TV participants on the show Texas Car Wars sued the network Megalomedia for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) alleging that Megalomedia did not pay them in full for their time on the show.  According to the participants, film shoots regularly exceeded 40 hours per week and participants were …

DOL Issues Final Overtime Rule Increasing the White-Collar Employee Salary Threshold. Employers Have Until January 1, 2020 to Change Payroll Practices.

30 FAQs about the New Rule The Department of Labor (“DOL”) unveiled the final version of its overtime exemption rule (the “Rule”), which sets the annual salary threshold for exempt employees to qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (“FLSA”) white-collar exemptions at $35,568 per year or $684 a week, an increase from the current …

U.S. Supreme Court Signals Abandoning the “Narrow” Interpretation Standard for Overtime Exemptions Suggesting More Employer-Favorable Future Rulings

On April 2, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a ruling with narrow application, but it is significant because it likely signals a “new day” favorable to employers regarding how Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) is interpreted in the future.  The FLSA, of course, is the law that requires the payment of overtime to “non-exempt” workers.  …

Department of Labor Ends Appeal Over Salary Basis Test Giving Businesses Green Light to Continue Business as Usual

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) decided this week to end its appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by a federal court in Texas. That injunction had stopped implementation of the increased salary basis test regulations issued by the DOL in 2016. The DOL’s decision to end the appeal confirms the continued application of the …