Legal Focus

Many school transportation contractors continue to look for creative ways to retain drivers. Some contractors may decide to pay their drivers on a per run basis, rather than by the hour. This can be an attractive payment model for drivers, and award efficiency with more pay in less time. However, contractors that pay their drivers on a per run basis should be mindful of their obligations of continued compliance with applicable minimum wage and overtime laws. Continue reading to learn how federal...

For school transportation contractors in Pennsylvania, it is peak hiring season as the start of the new school year is just under a month away. Many contractors are navigating through the nationwide driver shortage to find drivers to fill seats on school buses for the upcoming school year, and are beginning to take a closer look at policies and practices relating to the hiring and training of drivers. As contractors continue to look for creative ways to address the driver shortage while experien...

After two years of anticipation, the Department of Labor (DOL) published its Final Rule updating the threshold for overtime pay effective January 1, 2020. This 2019 Final Rule comes on the heels of a previous attempt to update overtime pay thresholds in 2016 during the Obama Administration. The 2016 Final Rule that was placed under a nation-wide injunction by a Texas Federal Judge, and then invalidated by President Trump after he assumed office. Many, including the DOL, hope this one is here to...

Many remember the 2016 Obama era rule from the U.S. Dept. of Labor (US DOL) that sought to more than double the threshold for overtime pay by employers. That rule was contested in federal court and was ultimately withdrawn by the Trump administration. The U.S. Department of Labor is now again proposing a new rule that would increase the overtime pay threshold and the number of workers eligible for overtime pay and minimum wage.

2018 will see the effects of many laws and regulations that that were passed in the last year. Following is a brief “year in review” highlighting the federal and state regulations that matter to Pennsylvania’s school bus contractors.

2018 will see the effects of many laws and regulations that that were passed in the last year. Following is a brief “year in review” highlighting the federal and state regulations that matter to Pennsylvania’s school bus contractors.

In May 2016, the Department of Labor published its final rule, more than doubling the threshold for overtime pay. In December 2016, a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction preventing enforcement.