By Doug Weiner
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) has announced an intention to initiate a rule making process concerning the records employers are required to make and keep pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Section 11 of the FLSA requires employers to keep specified records of the hours employees work, and the wages they are paid. The DOL proposes to update the recordkeeping regulations under the FLSA in order to enhance the transparency and disclosure to workers of how their pay is computed, and to modernize other recordkeeping requirements for employees under “telework” and “flexiplace” arrangements.
The DOL states there is a need to modernize the recordkeeping regulations to foster more openness and transparency in demonstrating employers’ compliance with applicable requirements to their workers, to better ensure compliance with the increasing emphasis on flexi-place and telecommuting, to allow for automated or electronic recordkeeping systems instead of the mandatory manual preparation of “homeworker” handbooks currently required for all work that an employee may perform at home.
The DOL intends to develop alternatives to consider revisions to the current recordkeeping requirements. The public will be invited to provide comments on the proposed revisions, and possible alternatives.
Developments in this proposed recordkeeping rulemaking will be posted on this blog as they become available.