Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Audits
Employers may soon be facing wage and hour audits by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division. DOL investigators will gather data on wages, hours, and other employment conditions to determine if a business is complying with federal law. Investigations will look for overtime calculation errors, meal break calculation and time errors, and improper classification of exempt employees. Businesses in certain industries, such as agriculture, food service, hospitality, janitorial services, and others that typically employ low-wage earners, may be targeted for investigation with or without receiving advanced notice.
Pfizer Vaccine Earns Full FDA Approval
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received full FDA Approval for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older and will now be marketed as Comirnaty. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency authorization, including for individuals aged 12-15 years old, and a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.
Domestic Violence Leave Act: Policy Review
Employers should consider regularly reviewing their policies and practices to ensure they comply with the requirements of the Domestic Violence Leave Act (DVLA) and similar laws after a recent ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The SJC held that an employer could be liable for retaliation under the DVLA if it rescinded an individual’s conditional offer of employment after the individual disclosed she was a victim of abuse and her abuser violated a protective order, which she was taking efforts to enforce.
