OFCCP Issues Revised Directive
September 29, 2022
by Peyton Hildebrand
Covered federal contractors have been tasked by the federal government with preventing disparities in pay for their employees based on race, gender, and ethnicity. To prevent such disparities, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) under the Department of Labor (DOL) requires…
Employers are Asking: Handbook Updates
August 17, 2022
by Hannah E. Butler
Arkansas’s unemployment rates are at the lowest we have seen in decades, which means employers across the state are onboarding new employees at an exciting pace. As businesses review their new-hire paperwork, many have had questions about updating their employee handbooks. From adding…
Arkansas Supreme Court Upholds Validity of Class-Action Waiver Clause Even In Absence of Arbitration Clause
July 25, 2022
by Audra K. Hamilton
Arbitration agreements and class-action waivers have been important tools for employers seeking to reduce expense and exposure in cases brought by employees. These legal instruments have begun to be limited, though. Recently, Congress amended the Federal Arbitration Act to invalidate arbitration…
Tips, Tip Pooling, and Tip Credits: What is a Restaurant Legally Allowed to do with its Tips?
July 25, 2022
by Cara D. Butler
Employees in a restaurant setting often receive tips, and employers often take a “tip credit” toward the minimum wage that they have to pay (allowing the employer in Arkansas to pay $2.63/hour to the tipped employee if the tipped employee receives at least $8.37 per hour in tips to make up the…
Emotional Support Animals and Access to Public Facilities
Imagine you are in charge of a facility that is open to the public—perhaps a church, a restaurant, a hardware store, or an apartment building. A woman enters with a dog on a leash. She says the dog is a service dog or emotional support animal, and she asks that the dog be allowed to accompany her…