SCOTSDALE, Ariz. - With all the red tape, small print and legal mumbo-jumbo that comes along with many rules and regulations, finding out straight answers to wage and hour questions can be tough. Jean Seawright Pileggi, president of the management consulting firm, Seawright & Associates, Winter Park, Fla., offered the top 10 wage and hour myths at Lawn & Landscape's Business Strategies Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.
Are you guilty of believing any of these labor legends?
· By virtue of paying someone a salary, employers do not have to pay overtime.
· Unauthorized overtime does not have to be paid.
· Non-discretionary bonuses do not need to be included in overtime calculations.
· Employers can withhold an employee's entire final pay if he/she owes money to the company.
· Employers can give non-exempt employees time off in the future in lieu of overtime worked.
· Employers can require employees who are under the age of 18 to work any hours and perform any kind of work.
· Non-exempt employees must punch a time clock.
· Under federal regulations, employers must give their employees (over age 18) a break during the day.
· Employers can merge two work weeks in order to avoid paying overtime.
· Employees who are paid a salary do not have to maintain a time record.
The author is the Associate Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine.