Lawsuits filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) hit another record high in 2014, according to information from Seyfarth Shaw law firm. The number of federal wage-and-hour lawsuits for the period of April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014 (the Federal Judicial Center’s reporting year) increased to 8,126. This is an increase of almost 5% from 2013 and a 438% from just 14 years ago in 2000.

The law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP has a very telling chart that you can find here.

Employers need to be very careful examining their FLSA policies and should get professional assistance when making wage-and-hour determinations.  Paying penalties, interest and back wages (including overtime hours) especially when not expecting these additional costs, can significantly hurt a company.