Top 10 tips for avoiding expensive wage and hour violations in 2022

Employers may be startled to see figures from the New Hampshire Department of Labor (NHDOL) revealing just how expensive wage and hour violations can be. In fiscal year (FY) 2021 (July 2020-June 30, 2021), the state proposed civil penalties in the gross amount of $2,711,500 after inspections. The amount was reduced through informal conferences and other means so the actual amount collected was $415,783, but that was still more than was collected in civil penalties in FY 2020. Following is a countdown of the top 10 most common wage and hour violations and tips on how to avoid mistakes.

No. 10

Failure to have a written safety plan, joint loss management committee, and safety summary form, if required. Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers have been asking if their new safety policies and responses to suspected and confirmed workplace coronavirus cases need to be recorded and if related safety issues need to be addressed by their safety committees. The short answer is “yes.”

What to do: Covered employers should be sure their safety committee is organized and that it holds regular meetings (for example, quarterly). Also, the committee should maintain meeting minutes and make sure plans and reports are up to date.

No. 9