By Barbara J. Koenig
Employees or trainees? Students at for-profit massage therapy schools realized that while performing their required clinical hours by giving massages to the schools' clients, they were helping the facilities make money. The students thought of themselves as unpaid employees and sued the schools for back wages. Did they have a claim?

By Mary Beth Ferrante, Maven Clinic 
Today, most companies are prioritizing benefits, such as flexibility and paid leave, as they become increasingly aware that their ability to attract and retain talent often hinges on company culture. But with so many organizations now offering employees these somewhat “standard” benefits—albeit important and appreciated—a common misconception can occur: If given enough maternity/paternity leave, new parents (particularly working mothers) can return to work without missing a beat, taking on just as much if not more than when they left.

By Mark M. Schorr
A class of 52,000 experienced and student truck drivers filed claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Nebraska Wage and Hour Act (NWHA) alleging that their employer failed to pay them at a rate equal to or greater than the required minimum wage. Let's examine the particulars of the plan compensation, critical issues, and the factors that resulted in the ruling.

By Michelle Lee Flores and Ethan Chernin, Akerman LLP
A California employer required its employees to return to work 3 to 5 minutes before the end of their 30-minute meal break to prepare for the recycling conveyor belt to be turned back on. A former employee sued the company on behalf of himself and his coworkers, claiming they were entitled to an hour of pay for not receiving their full meal period. The former employee also sought payment for the entire 30-minute break because it became an "on-duty" meal period when the employer shortened it.

By Tammy Binford
Prospects may not be bright for Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, but a recently introduced bill is generating discussion about the possibility of some kind of increase.

By Martin J. Regimbal
With the glut of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) litigation over the last few years, employers have become more and more familiar with the various federal regulations on overtime exemptions. The DOL recently issued an opinion letter on 29 C.F.R. § 541.604(b), which pertains to how exempt employees must be paid.

By Katarina Harris
Employers in the hospitality industry have long struggled to follow the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) guidance limiting the circumstances under which they may take a "tip credit" toward their employees' federal minimum wage. New DOL guidance eases the restrictions on tip credits.