Coordination of Compensation
By Jacqueline Colafemina
Lions, tigers and bears my not be as concerning as wages,
salaries and overtime. Oh, my! With so many evolving
changes on employee compensation it can be easy to get
confused about how to properly interpret and administer
wage and hour issues. Knowing that organizations want
to avoid lawsuits or image issues, it is vital to become
knowledgeable about implementing recent regulations.
In attorney Joseph M. Dougherty’s presentation, Wage and
Hour Update, Beyond Punching the Clock, wage and hour
issues – particularly as they relate to recent New York State
updates – were addressed. The Minimum Wage Act (Article
19 of the New York State Labor Law) requires that all
employees in New York State receive at least $9.70 an hour
– and that will continue to increase over the coming years.
There are subsequent regulations known as “wage orders”
that must be taken into consideration in accordance
with the Minimum Wage Act, as they set industry specific
requirements. There can be allowances for meals, tips,
lodging and utilities that apply in certain wage orders that
are separated by area and industry as well.
He also discussed other key legislation, including the Wage
Parity and Overtime Act, NYS EAP Exemptions and the
Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2011. In addition, there
are regulations regarding employees; employee uniforms,
training programs, meal or other break periods, travel time,
spread of hours or split shifts, call-in pay and a difference
between compensable and non-compensable time.
While employee compensation is a basic component of
day-to-day business practices, it is also a vulnerable area
for many companies and is the leading factor in company-
based lawsuits. Ensuring that your facility is familiar with all
applicable state and Federal regulations will ensure you are
both doing the best by your employees, and protecting your
company from harm.
leadingageny.org
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