Employers who will be hiring minors under 18 years old should review in advance the FLSA's prohibitions and restrictions applying to those workers.

Yes, there ARE other ways to control or reduce labor costs consistently with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

A few readers were surprised that, in some scenarios, a volunteer performing work for a federal Fair Labor Standards Act-covered non-profit organization might be an "employee" subject to that law's compensation requirements.

If a 35% spike in the FLSA minimum wage, a $590-per-week increase in the salary amount required for exempt "white collar" workers, an immediate 41% rise in the cash wage required for tipped employees, and a new paid-time-off requirement are prescriptions for an economic upturn, then help might be on the way.

A reader of our March 14 post relating to unpaid internships at non-profit organizations asks whether non-profits can avoid the intern debate by offering "volunteer" opportunities to engage in charitable or public-service activities.

There are often lawful ways to keep a handle on labor costs that avoid the disruptions of some of the more-common approaches.

Are FLSA principles different for unpaid internships at non-profit organizations or for those sponsored by educational institutions for which the intern receives academic credit?

Lawsuits and other developments show that the prospects for FLSA claims by current or former unpaid interns are real and should not be discounted.

The U.S. Labor Department continues to expand the number of jurisdictions and agencies with which it is collaborating on the "misclassification" of workers as independent contractors.

The U.S. Labor Department has further extended to March 21, 2012 the time for commenting upon provisions that would essentially spell the end of the FLSA exemptions for companions and live-in domestic-service workers.