Category: Minimum Wage

PAID Program New York Employers

PAID Program Hits Snag for New York Employers

The U.S. Department of Labor recently launched the nationwide Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program. The PAID Program encourages employers to conduct self-audits of their minimum wage and overtime payment practices. Employers who discover violations and self-report them may avoid penalties under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

But . . . New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman isn’t a fan of this federal program. In response to the launch of the U.S. DOL’s PAID Program, Schneiderman proclaimed:

“The Trump Labor Department’s ‘PAID Program’ is nothing more than a Get Out of Jail Free card for predatory employers.”

Is the Attorney General right? Let’s take a look at what the PAID Program offers, focusing on what all this means for employers in New York.

How the PAID Program Works

This “pilot” program is available to employers across the country. It has three basic components.

Self-Audit

To begin the process, an employer would conduct a self-audit of its compensation practices. If the employer finds compliance concerns it wants to resolve through the U.S. DOL, it must then (according to the DOL):

  • Specifically identify the potential violations;
  • Identify which employees were affected;
  • Identify the timeframes in which each employee was affected; and
  • Calculate the amount of back wages the employer believes are owed to each employee.

Self-Report

With this information ready, the employer would then contact the U.S. DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD). The WHD will advise the employer what information must be submitted. This apparently will include:

  • The back wage calculations described above, along with supporting evidence and methodology;
  • A concise explanation of the scope of the potential violations for possible inclusion in a release of liability;
  • A certification that the employer reviewed all of the PAID Program’s information, terms and compliance assistance materials; and
  • A certification that the employer meets all eligibility criteria of the PAID Program.

Payment

The WHD will then follow up with the employer to determine resolution. This will likely include payment of back wages due to employees.

Eligibility Restrictions

Most employers subject to the FLSA are eligible to participate in the PAID Program.

However, an employer cannot participate if the:

  • WHD or a court has found within the last 5 years that the employer violated FLSA minimum wage or overtime requirements by engaging in the same compensation practices addressed by the self-audit;
  • Employer is a party to any litigation asserting that the compensation practices in the self-audit violate FLSA minimum wage or overtime requirements.
  • WHD is investigating the compensation practices at issue in the self-audit;
  • Employer is specifically aware of any recent complaints by its employees or their representatives asserting that the compensation practices in the self-audit violate FLSA minimum wage or overtime requirements; or
  • Employer has previously participated in the PAID Program to resolve potential FLSA minimum wage or overtime violations resulting from the compensation practices in the self-audit.

The WHD may otherwise decline to accept any employer into the PAID Program at its discretion.

New York’s Opposition

New York has its own minimum wage and overtime requirements for most private-sector employers. Like the FLSA, these laws include liquidated damages penalties where an employer failed to pay minimum wage or overtime properly. This means that employers found guilty of these wage violations may have to repay twice the amount originally owed. Employees can also recover their attorneys’ fees for these claims. Under New York law, employers may be found liable for unpaid wages going back as far as 6 years from the date of the claim. This is longer than the 2- (sometimes 3-) year statute of limitations under the FLSA.

New York’s Attorney General’s statement against the PAID Program demonstrates that he feels it is not enough that employees will receive the wages they should have been paid in the first place:

Employers have a responsibility under state and federal laws to pay back stolen wages, as well as damages intended to deter them from breaking the law again. The PAID Program allows employers to avoid any consequences for committing wage theft, while blocking lawsuits intended to vindicate employees’ rights.

I want to send a clear message to employers doing business in New York: my office will continue to prosecute labor violations to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of whether employers choose to participate in the PAID Program.

The most straightforward counterargument to Schneiderman’s position is that discouraging employers from self-auditing and self-reporting may mean that employees never recover the wages they should have earned. The state/federal DOLs and private claimants are highly unlikely to uncover every instance of failure to compensate employees properly for minimum wage or overtime.

What This Means in New York

First, it was not a given that the PAID Program would be a great deal for all employers anyway. There are various downsides to self-reporting minimum wage and overtime violations. Beyond having to pay back wages, this may negatively affect employee morale, public image, etc. But the program may benefit some employers depending on their specific circumstances.

Now, however, Attorney General Schneiderman’s announcement raises a major red flag for companies with employees in New York. By raising their hand to participate in the federal PAID Program, these employers would put a target on their backs for state enforcement. FLSA violations would most likely correspond to violations of New York minimum wage/overtime laws. And even if paying back wages arguably precluded further litigation for the same payments, New York’s longer statute of limitations may at least leave employers open to up to 4 more years of liability, including liquidated damages and attorneys’ fees.

Any employer contemplating participation in the PAID Program should definitely consult with an attorney with experience dealing with both the U.S. DOL and New York State DOLs before self-reporting any possible violations. Even if the attorney agrees there has been an underpayment, they may offer better options than the PAID Program. Or, if you go forward with the program, they can assist you in navigating the process appropriately.

If nothing else comes from the PAID Program, employers should use these developments as motivation to review their compensation practices. Misclassification of workers for minimum wage and overtime purposes is one of the most common and costly mistakes employers make.

Tip Credits Leaving New York State

Tip Credits Leaving New York?

On December 17, 2017, Governor Andrew Cuomo directed New York’s Commissioner of Labor to schedule public hearings to evaluate the possibility of ending minimum wage tip credits in the State.

Tip credits permit employers to satisfy part of an employee’s minimum wage entitlement through tips earned, rather than cash wages paid by the employer.

Several states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) have long prohibited employers from using tips received by employees as a credit against their state minimum wages.

Cuomo’s Take on Tip Credits

Governor Cuomo’s announcement strongly suggests a belief that New York should eliminate tip credits.

“At the end of day, this is a question of basic fairness. In New York, we believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and that all workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Governor Cuomo said. “There should be no exception to that fairness and decency. I have directed the Department of Labor to ensure that no workers are more susceptible to exploitation because they rely on tips to survive. I look forward to reviewing the findings of these hearings.”

The press release from the Governor’s office offered that more than 70% of all tipped workers in New York are women. It cited a 2014 study by the Restaurant Opportunities Center asserting that “Workers in states that require the full minimum wage be paid to tipped employees experience half the rate of sexual harassment compared to workers in states that pay lower wages to tipped employees.” The Governor’s release also indicated that “studies have shown that African-American workers are often tipped less than their white counterparts.”

New York Hearings on Tip Credits

New York Commissioner of Labor Roberta Reardon has released a schedule of seven “Hearings on Subminimum Wage” throughout the State. The first one will take place March 12, 2018 in Syracuse. The others will be in Buffalo, Long Island, Watertown, Albany, and New York City.

According to the DOL’s website:

Oral presentations may be strictly limited to 3 minutes each. Priority in seating and speaking will be given to those who preregistered. Seating and speaking order for those who do not preregister will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis as determined by event staff. Written testimony must be submitted to: hearing@labor.ny.gov before July 1, 2018.

Click here for the full hearing schedule.

At the Federal Level

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor is planning to rescind Obama-era restrictions on employers that pay a direct cash wage of at least the full federal minimum wage and do not claim a tip credit against their minimum wage obligations. The agency published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on December 5, 2017, seeking to amend the 2011 rule. The already controversial topic has escalated recently upon reports that the U.S. DOL did not make public its economic analysis regarding the proposed changes to the tip pool rules. On February 5, 2018, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. DOL initiated an audit of this rulemaking process.

The federal rule change would permit back-of-the-house workers to share in the pooled tips of employees who interact directly with customers. Critics oppose the measure in that it might reduce employee compensation by allowing management to personally participate in tip pools.

At least within the hospitality industry (restaurants and hotels), New York has its own rules regarding tip pooling. In most cases, those requirements would likely make the proposed change to the federal rules irrelevant in New York. Most employers must abide both the state and federal regulations. And it does not appear that the New York tip pooling rules are under reconsideration at this time.

Potential Impact on New York Employers

New York employers who currently rely on tip credits to satisfy a portion of the State’s minimum wage should anticipate paying a higher percentage (perhaps 100%) of the minimum wage in cash by the end of 2018. The State might impose separate rules for those in the hospitality industry and others where employees regularly receive tips.

Losing tip credits may force employers to adjust their prices or other components of their business models. For example, some employers have announced express “no tipping” policies. This allows them to increase what they charge customers without increasing the customers’ overall cost. Employers can then use the additional revenues to pay the minimum wages.

Click here for more information on the current New York minimum wages for both tipped and non-tipped employees.

Outside Sales Exemption

Outside Sales Exemption – A Quick Guide for New York Employers

Most New York employers are subject to both federal and state minimum wage and overtime requirements. Usually, this means the employer must pay its employees at least the minimum wage for all hours worked and time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a week. There are, however, many exceptions to these requirements. This post addresses the outside sales exemption under both the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York law.

Employers sometimes rely on the “outside sales” exemption to cover all categories of sales employees. But the “outside” component is critical for exemption. Sales employees who do not qualify under the outside sales exemption may still qualify for another exemption, such as the executive or administrative exemptions.

Learn more through this free webinar: Overtime Exemptions for New York Employers: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You!

FLSA Outside Sales Exemption

To qualify for the outside sales exemption under the FLSA (the federal minimum wage/overtime law):

  1. The employee’s primary duty must be making sales or obtaining orders or contracts for services or for the use of facilities for which a consideration will be paid by the client or customer; and
  2. The employee must be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer’s place or places of business.

Unlike the administrative, executive, and professional exemptions, the FLSA salary requirements do not apply to the outside sales exemption.

An outside salesperson must travel to customers, usually at their places of business or homes. Selling solely by phone, mail, or the Internet does not qualify as outside sales.

“Sales” includes any sale, exchange, contract to sell, consignment for sales, shipment for sale, or other disposition. Promotional work that is related to the employee’s own outside sales or solicitation efforts qualifies as exempt work.

New York Outside Sales Exemption

The FLSA and New York outside sales exemptions are very similar.

Under New York State law, employees can be exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements if they are customarily and predominantly engaged away from the premises of the employer and not at any fixed site and location for the purpose of:

  • Making sales;
  • Selling and delivering articles or goods; or
  • Obtaining orders or contracts for service or for the use of facilities.

Like the FLSA, New York has no salary requirement for outside sales employees. However, New York does require that commissioned salesperson have a written agreement establishing the terms of their compensation. For outside sales employees whose primary compensation comes through a salary or hourly wage, employers still must satisfy the State’s wage notice requirements.

Summary

In the past, this exemption covered more employees who actually went “door-to-door” or at least made home sales calls. Now, since most consumer purchases occur through the Internet, the exemption it is more prevalent among business-to-business sales employees.

But remember, the outside sales exemption only applies to certain employees whose actual job situations meet the requirements! Job titles do not automatically determine exemption, nor does the fact that the employee is involved in making sales.

Employers should periodically review employees’ job duties to determine whether they qualify for exemption.

To learn more, check out my related webinar: Overtime Exemptions for New York Employers: What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You!