Fortunately for all of us, it concerns the fluctuating work week method of overtime computation which most employers in the state consciously either avoid or try not to understand. (In very basic terms, the formula calculates a pay rate based on the number of hours an employee actually works in a particular weeks.)
I’ve previously discussed the “perils of trying to rely on a fluctuating work week.” As recently as 2012, I said that “while it can provide some benefit for employers, it must be done properly and must not be raised after the fact.” And I noted way back in 2008 that employers have to jump through a variety of hoops to make sure they are compliant.
Add to this cautionary tale the latest Connecticut Supreme Court case of Williams v. General Nutrition Centers, Inc.
The court held that overtime pay for retail employees who receive commission cannot be calculated using the federal fluctuating workweek formula.
And beyond that, the court raised two important principles.
First, it said that Connecticut law does not prohibit the use of the fluctuating method in general. Thus, for most employers and most employees, the use of the fluctuating work week is definitely in play.
Second, and perhaps most critical here, the Court said that Connecticut Department of Labor regulations that govern overtime pay for retail employees do prohibit the use of the fluctuating method for those employees:
By setting forth its own formula for mercantile employers to use when computing overtime pay, one that requires them to divide pay by the usual hours worked to calculate the regular hourly rate, the wage [regulation] leaves no room for an alternative calculation method….The wage order’s command to use a divide by usual hours method therefore precludes use of the fluctuating method’s divide by actual hours method, except, of course, when an employee’s actual hours match his usual hours.
It should be noted as well that while the case concerned retail employees, the regulation at issue applies to all businesses in the “mercantile trade.”
For employers that rely on the fluctuating workweek method of calculating overtime in Connecticut, this case is a good reminder to revisit those practices now to make sure they comply with this new Connecticut case. Seeking the advice of your trusted counsel to look at your particular circumstances is critical given the court’s decision.
The post Revisiting the Fluctuating Workweek Method: CT Supreme Court Says No for Retail Employees appeared first on Connecticut Employment Law Blog.
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