FROM THE BLOG
  • Blanchard & Walker: Fighting Payroll Fraud for Independent Contractors February 20, 2020
    Clocking overtime
    Company’s Use “Independent Contractor” Agreements to Avoid Paying Overtime to Employees.

    Blanchard & Walker lawyers have been fighting for over a decade to secure the rights of cable technicians and other laborers who have been deprived of overtime pay by the use of “independent contractor” labels.  Still, we are amazed by the depth of the problem and astonished to hear how extreme and widespread the abuse of “independent contractor” classifications has become.   (more…)

  • Proposal Would Limit the Reach of Non-Compete Agreements for Low-Wage Workers January 24, 2020
    House Commerce Committee Hearing on HB 4874

    A bill under consideration in the Michigan Legislature would limit the most abusive forms of overreaching of “non-compete agreements” and end unfair restrictions on low-wage workers.  At a recent committee hearing, B&W Attorney David Blanchard was on hand to testify on behalf of the Michigan Association for Justice – discussing the impact of these restrictions on low wage workers and the drag they have on the Michigan economy. Read MIRS Coverage on HB 4874. (more…)

  • Blanchard & Walker PLLC : Workers on a “Day-Rate” Pay System are Still Owed Overtime Pay. October 31, 2019

    “Day-rate” regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) are very clear: “day-rate” workers” are entitled to additional pay for hours worked over forty in a week. The Department of Labor Regulation, 29 C.F.R. § 778.112, requires that when employees paid on a day-rate work more than forty hours in a week, their hourly rate is calculated by totaling all money received in the workweek and dividing by the total hours actually worked in that week. Such employees are then entitled to an overtime half-time premium for all hours worked over forty that week. (more…)