Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray quietly signed an amendment to the Wage Theft Prevention Act which will likely take effect in mid-December 2014 – just in time for the holidays.  The amended Act will significantly expand D.C. employers’ obligations to employees, including comprehensive new pay notice requirements for all existing employees and new hires going forward.  The Act also increases penalties and damages for violating various D.C. wage-hour and leave laws, places higher evidentiary burdens on employers seeking to defend against such claims, and creates an expedited administrative enforcement process that employees can trigger in lieu of a civil action.

While employers in New York, California and some other states are already familiar with similarly broad and burdensome wage theft laws and pay notice requirements, D.C. employers must now act quickly to learn the ins and outs of the Act, prepare for the Act’s enactment and ensure compliance.  Please see Proskauer’s recent Client Alert for more detailed information concerning the Act’s new requirements, penalties, and suggested best practices for employers.

Proskauer’s D.C. office and its Labor & Employment lawyers have extensive experience assisting employers with pay notices and payroll practices, wage-hour classifications and compliance audits under both federal and state/local laws, as well as training human resources professionals in these areas of the law.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Guy Brenner Guy Brenner

Guy Brenner is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department and leads the Firm’s Washington, D.C. Labor & Employment practice. He is head of the Government Contractor Compliance Group, co-head of the Counseling, Training & Pay Equity Group and a member…

Guy Brenner is a partner in the Labor & Employment Law Department and leads the Firm’s Washington, D.C. Labor & Employment practice. He is head of the Government Contractor Compliance Group, co-head of the Counseling, Training & Pay Equity Group and a member of the Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets & Unfair Competition Group. He has extensive experience representing employers in both single-plaintiff and class action matters, as well as in arbitration proceedings. He also regularly assists federal government contractors with the many special employment-related compliance challenges they face.

Guy represents employers in all aspects of employment and labor litigation and counseling, with an emphasis on non-compete and trade secrets issues, medical and disability leave matters, employee/independent contractor classification issues, and the investigation and litigation of whistleblower claims. He assists employers in negotiating and drafting executive agreements and employee mobility agreements, including non-competition, non-solicit and non-disclosure agreements, and also conducts and supervises internal investigations. He also regularly advises clients on pay equity matters, including privileged pay equity analyses.

Guy advises federal government contractors and subcontractors all aspects of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulations and requirements, including preparing affirmative action plans, responding to desk audits, and managing on-site audits.

Guy is a former clerk to Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the US District Court of the District of Columbia.