As federal lawmakers consider whether to raise the minimum wage to $15, many state and local wage rates have been steadily rising in recent years, and some have reached or surpassed $15 an hour. Compliance can be a challenge for employers in multiple jurisdictions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employers will no longer be able to participate in a federal program that allowed businesses to self-report federal minimum wage and overtime violations in an effort to avoid litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued two opinion letters addressing whether an employer properly classified account managers as exempt from overtime pay and whether a private religious day care can pay its teachers on an exempt salary basis under the ministerial exception.