Keeping an Eye on Restaurant Labor Laws

Do you remember the proposed overtime changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 2016? Once in effect, the rule was predicted to extend overtime protections to 4.2 million workers who were not previously eligible under federal law.

Plenty of workers were excited about the changes, while many companies were a little concerned. And one sector that was particularly worried about changes in labor laws was the restaurant industry.

What would changes in restaurant labor laws do to bottom lines, not to mention growth in the restaurant industry?

When the ruling was announced, the nation’s restaurant industry was experiencing unprecedented growth. In fact, many projected that the restaurant industry would grow by as much as 14% within the coming decade. But with these pending changes to overtime laws, many restaurateurs envisioned that growth bottoming.

In the end, the rule changes were blocked. And when a federal district court judge invalidated the FLSA rule in 2017, many in the restaurant industry breathed sighs of relief.

Restaurant Labor Law Image
But the possibility of changes to overtime laws still exists:

  • The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a request for information (RFI) in the summer of 2017.
  • The DOL received more than 160,000 comments before the comment period closed at the end of September.
  • As of now, they are expected to announce a revised proposed rule by October 2018.

While following movements at the federal level is one thing, it’s important to note that state legislatures have different, and increasingly divergent overtime thresholds then the federal government.

  • In California for example, assembly bill 1565, which is currently moving through the state’s senate, seeks to raise the state’s overtime threshold to a level that’s similar to the proposed 2016 changes to the FLSA.
  • In New York, for companies with 11+ employees, new statewide rules increased the minimum weekly overtime salary threshold from $675 per week to $825 per week.

For restaurant owners, the idea of keeping track of shifting labor laws and regulations can be daunting, especially when your list of things to do before your doors open is already long enough. That’s where stratustime comes in.

When you choose a time & attendance software, you probably want a product that’s smart, intuitive, and easy to use. It’s also important to choose a solution that helps you stay compliant with things like wage and hour laws and regulations. In our latest report, “What’s Really Different About stratustime,” we give readers an inside look into what goes on behind the scenes to make sure our customers are in-step with federal and state legislative changes.

Download the Report

 

We’re constantly monitoring what’s happening in federal and state legislatures.  

On the front-end, stratustime’s features and functionality help simplify the way you do business, by giving you less to think and worry about. For instance, with stratustime as your time & attendance solution, you can:

  •  Cut down on how much time you spend making schedules and tracking attendance.
  • Give more control to your employees with features that let them swap shifts from their smart phones or computers.
  • Help eliminate issues like employee time theft and chronic “buddy punching,” which can seriously undermine any restaurant’s bottom line.

 Meanwhile, behind the scenes, stratustime works to keep your time & attendance software current and compliant with new laws. To do so, we have eyes and ears in as many corners of the country as possible at once:

  • Our 60-person-plus compliance team tracks high-impact litigation across the country.
  • We stay up-to-date on proposed and passed legislation as well as administrative guidance issued that may affect businesses and their employees.
  • We share our findings with our product development team to help them strategize the best ways to support customers.

 Keeping track of pending restaurant laws and employment-related legislation may not be your idea of a good time. When you choose stratustime as your restaurant’s time & attendance solution, you and your employees can clock in and out with confidence, knowing that we’re keeping an eye on laws for you, no matter where your restaurant is located in the U.S.

stratustime from nettime solutions is built for the shape of your business today, and the growth you anticipate for tomorrow. Give us a call today, and learn more about how we can put stratustime to work for you.

Contact a Time & Attendance Expert Today

 

 

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