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Proposed Changes to the Department of Labor’s Tip Pooling Rules

December 6, 2017 Labor & Employment Blog Wage and Hour

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NPRM”) to alter limitations on tip pooling when an employer does not take a tip credit and pays the tipped employees a direct cash wage of at least the federal minimum wage. According to a DOL fact sheet on the NPRM:

As the NPRM explains, since 2011, there has been a significant amount of litigation involving the tip pooling and tip retention practices of employers that pay a direct cash wage of at least the federal minimum wage and do not claim a Fair Labor Standards Act tip credit. There has also been litigation directly challenging the department’s authority to promulgate the provisions of the 2011 regulations that restrict an employer’s use of tips received by its employees when the employer pays a direct cash wage of at least the federal minimum wage and does not take a tip credit. Moreover, in the past several years, several states have changed their laws to require employers to pay tipped employees a direct cash wage that is at least the federal minimum wage. This means that fewer employers can take the FLSA tip credit. The department is issuing this NPRM in part because of these developments and the department’s serious concerns that it incorrectly construed the statute when promulgating the 2011 regulations.

The proposed rule would allow employers to distribute customer tips to larger tip pools that include non-tipped workers, such as cooks and dishwashers. This would likely increase the earnings of those employees who are newly added to the tip pool and further incentivize them to provide good customer service. The proposed rule would additionally provide employers greater flexibility in determining pay practices for tipped and non-tipped workers. It also may allow for a reduction in wage disparities among employees who all contribute to the customers’ experience.

This proposed change does not impact tip pooling when an employer takes a tip credit toward the minimum wage requirement. Employers impacted by this proposed rule have until January 4, 2018, to provide comment on the rule. Comments may be submitted electronically at regulations.gov.

Jennifer Fowler-Hermes
jfowler-hermes@williamsparker.com
941-552-2558