Here’s What You Missed: New Overtime Pay Rule

Last week Wednesday, Attorney Dan Strader of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick packed The Chamber Boardroom with members ready to learn about the new overtime pay rules taking effect December 1^st.

A little history on FLSA

FLSA was enacted in 1938 providing federal minimum wage, 40-hour workweek, and pay at time-and-a-half for overtime hours. The law created several exemptions including “white collar” exemptions for Executive (e.g. Supervisory, Management), Administrative (e.g. HR Professionals, Insurance Adjusters), and Professional (e.g. Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants). In order to fall within one of the exemptions, an employee must meet the two-part test: Duties Test and Salary Basis. If an employee does not meet any of these exemptions (“non-exempt”), they must be paid for all hours worked plus overtime for any hours over 40 in a work week.

New Overtime Regulations Timeline

On March 13, 2014, President Obama directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to update overtime regulations which would create the first salary increase since 2004. On July 6, 2015, the DOL issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and on May 18, 2016 the final rules were released with a December 1, 2016 effective date.

What’s in the new rules?

The new regulations doubled the minimum salary (Salary Bas
is) for exempt employees to  $47,476 annually (or $913 per week).  This means that any employees classified as exempt must meet this minimum salary requirement, in addition to the Duties Test, to continue in an exempt capacity.  The new regulations also provide for automatic annual adjustment of exempt salary levels. The Duties Test did not change.

So what’s your game plan?

• Provide notice to management/ownership of issue
• Analyze your workforce and identify who will be affected
• Begin tracking hours of exempt employees at issue
• Begin tracking outside/electronic device hours of exempt employees at issue
• Consider alternatives
• Development employee messaging

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For additional information, please visit the Department of Labor website.

Information in this post on the new regulations effecting FLSA comes from Daniel R. Strader, Attorney of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP who presented to The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce at a Chamber University program on Thursday, August 4, 2016.

For any questions regarding the information, please contact dstrader@slk-law.com, (941) 366-6660. Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP: www.slk-law.com

Energized for Success in the Year Ahead

Our newly installed 2015-2016 Board Chair Lisa Krouse, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at FCCI Insurance Group, reflects on the 95^th Annual Membership Meeting, presented by Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP., and looks forward to the year ahead.

I am still energized by the positive momentum felt at our annual luncheon! Chris Gallagher’s tribute to Rod Warner (2015 Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Chair’s Cup Winner) was heartfelt and enormously touching to those of us there. We are a better Chamber because of Chris’ leadership this past year. I can assure you that we remain in good hands with the 2015-2016 Board of Directors and the organizations these individuals represent.

Let me share with you the three areas we will focus for 2015-2016.

Make the Most of Your Tradeshow: Part One

Allison Imre, iHeartMedia Sarasota

At a recent Shumaker Chamber University, Allison Imre presented valuable information on trade shows at “Make the Most of Your Tradeshow.” Imre is the Senior Account Manager of iHeartMedia Sarasota. With 245 million monthly listeners in the U.S., iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. The company owns and operates 858 broadcast radio stations, serving more than 150 markets throughout the U.S.

Imre is no stranger to trade shows. Her experience with trade shows started at her previous position with the Kansas City Royals and has expanded since she joined iHeartMedia Sarasota.

If you’re like Imre, you’ve been to your fair share of trade shows. In fact, everyone in our audience raised their hands when asked if they’ve attended one before. And their experiences were mixed. For some, the trade show wasn’t worth their time or investment and for others there was success in meeting new people, closing deals and setting appointments. By opening the trade show conversation, Imre offered some of the best tools, tips and tricks to use when attending or exhibiting at a trade show.

With The Chamber’s End of the Summer Bash Prime Time exhibit quickly approaching, let’s start with what we learned to do as a trade show attendee.

Photo courtesy of Jake Bibler of Mavella Photography.