John Ho, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Labor & Employment department, was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discussing a new initiative being tested by the U.S. Department of Labor that allows employers to avoid extra penalties if they discover an accidental labor law violation and voluntarily disclose it. The program covers violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which, among other provisions, establishes the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and requires that work beyond 40 hours per week be paid for at 1.5 times the normal rate. The Department of Labor’s wage and hour division is tasked with investigating FLSA violations. “[The wage and hour division] has historically supervised settlements, but the procedures for doing that have varied. This is the first national program,” said John.

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