There are different methods companies can use to pay their employees. Although many people are familiar with the hourly wage and salary options, some employees get paid piecemeal – or per job – regardless of how long it takes them to complete that job. Although it is not illegal to…
After George Orwell’s novel, “1984”, was published, the term “Big Brother” became a household name. It is used to refer to any institution or practice that allows companies or organizations to see what people are doing no matter where they are. The term has been applied to everything from traffic…
Declaring bankruptcy can have a number of advantages for some companies. It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the company, but it can be the beginning of a transition into another company, even if it continues in the same business. For example, General Motors (G.M.) declared bankruptcy in 2009. It’s…
The promise of awarding gift cards is just one method retailers sometimes use to lure shoppers into their stores. For example Hollister Co., a clothing retailer, promised consumers who spent $75 or more a $25 gift card in December 2009. The cards themselves allegedly stated they had “no expiration date”,…
Workers generally expect that any time required by the employer is time for which they get paid. This should hold true regardless of whether the employees are performing work or receiving training necessary to perform the job. According to a recent class action wage and hour lawsuit against Wal-Mart, the…
Hiring part-time employees can be a great way for businesses to fill in the gaps in their employee schedule while saving money. It can also be beneficial for employees looking for flexible hours. On the other hand, part-time employees are often left without the benefits of full-time employees, including health…
Many workers have become accustomed to the standard 9-to-5 schedule, in which they work eight hours a day, five days a week. In some parts of the country, that has shifted to ten hours a day, four days out of the week. This gives employees a three-day weekend every week…
Defendants in class action lawsuits sometimes try to avoid class certification by claiming it would be too difficult to identify and find all the potential class members. But just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible or not worth doing. GE Capital Retail Bank is the latest corporation to…
Every state is different. In addition to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which protects employees working throughout the country, each state has their own labor laws that cover employees working within the state. Employers conducting business in the United States need to be sure to abide by both…
In an attempt to reign in large companies taking advantage of new technology in this way, legislators recently passed the Electronic Communications Act was, which makes it illegal for companies to share users’ information in certain situations. Although taking advantage of information shared on the Internet is a common practice…