Wage & Hour Issues

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Payano v. CompassRock Real Estate LLC, decided by the Southern District of New York on May 12, 2014, discusses the application of the anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law. Plaintiff, a live-in apartment maintenance worker, alleged that he was only paid for 40 hours, even though he…

Read More Maintenance Worker Successfully Pleads Retaliation Claim Arising From Termination Following Wage Complaints
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Today, April 8, is Equal Pay Day, which (according to the Huffington Post) marks “the number of extra days into 2014 the average woman has to work to earn as much as her male counterpart did in 2013.” President Obama also signed executive orders today addressing gender-based wage discrimination. The primary federal legislation addressing gender…

Read More Equal Pay Day
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In Sandifer v. U.S. Steel Corp., the Supreme Court – in an opinion authored by Justice Scalia – considered the meaning of the term “changing clothes” as used in Section 203(o) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 203(o). That statute provides: Hours Worked. In determining for the purposes of [29 U.S.C. §§ 206,…

Read More The Supreme Court Tells Us What “Changing Clothes” Means
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Below is plaintiff Robert Atkins’ complaint against Metronome Events, recently filed in New York state court. Plaintiff, who worked as a bartender, alleges that he was paid $150 for each of 140 events he worked, and that defendants unlawfully withheld service charges and gratuities from him. He asserts claims under the New York Labor Law (namely, Labor…

Read More Bartender Seeks Withheld Service Charges/Gratuities From High-Profile Event Planner
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In Xiong Chen v. Weiqi Zhang, the Eastern District of New York recently denied both parties’ motions for summary judgment. Plaintiff worked as a waiter for Andy’s Restaurant in Brooklyn and made $150 per week before tips.  There were no records detailing plaintiff’s employment, his weekly work schedule, the hours he worked, or the money he…

Read More Factual Issues Preclude Summary Judgment in Overtime Case
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In Barenboim v. Starbucks, the Second Circuit (by Summary Order) yesterday held that Starbucks shift supervisors are not precluded by New York Labor Law § 196-d from sharing in tips.  The decision follows the New York Court of Appeals’ decision this summer that answered a certified question regarding the interpretation of that statute. The New York…

Read More Starbucks Shift Supervisors May Share in Tips
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Generally, with the exception of New York City’s Earned Sick Time Act, New York law does not require payment for time not actually worked (such as holidays, sick time, and vacations) unless the employer has established a policy or agreed to make such payments. Is There an Agreement? As explained by the court in Litras v PVM…

Read More The Law of Vacation Pay in New York
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In Boutros v. JTC Painting, the Southern District of New York denied defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint seeking unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law. Plaintiffs are painters who worked for defendant JTC, a painting contractor owned by co-defendant Caruso.  They allege that JTC failed to pay…

Read More Overtime Complaint Was Not Moot in Light of Open-Ended Allegation of Hours Worked
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Today the Second Circuit issued its decision in Anani v. CVS RX Services, affirming a district court decision that a pharmacist was subject to the Fair Labor Standard’s exemption for highly-paid employees. The employee’s base salary was based on a 44-hour workweek, at all times exceeded $1250 weekly, and was guaranteed.  He also received additional compensation…

Read More Pharmacist Was an Exempt “Highly Paid Employee” Not Entitled to Overtime
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