FLORIDA
Florida Minimum Wage Rises to $15.00 on September 30, 2026
Florida’s minimum wage reaches $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026. The cash wage for tipped workers becomes $11.98.
Read the summaryDEVELOPMENTS FEDERAL · 2D, 3D AND 11TH CIRCUITS · NY · NJ · FL
What the new rates and court decisions mean for a short paycheck.
Recent rules and court decisions from the federal government, the Second, Third and Eleventh Circuits, New York, New Jersey and Florida, explained for workers and for employers.
All wage updates
THIRD CIRCUIT
Third Circuit: No FLSA Claim for Overtime Gap Time
The Third Circuit held that the FLSA does not cover unpaid non-overtime hours in an overtime week, but state wage laws may still apply.
Read the summaryNEW JERSEY
New Jersey’s ABC Test Rules Take Effect October 1, 2026
New Jersey adopted rules at N.J.A.C. 12:11 that explain how the state applies the ABC test for independent contractor status.
Read the summarySECOND CIRCUIT
Second Circuit Limits Multi-State FLSA Collective Actions
In Provencher v. Bimbo Foods, the Second Circuit held a court needs personal jurisdiction over out-of-state workers’ FLSA claims before notice goes out.
Read the summaryFEDERAL
DOL Proposes New Test for Independent Contractor Status
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed replacing its 2024 independent contractor rule with a test built on two core factors.
Read the summaryMINIMUM WAGE
New York’s 2026 minimum wage: $17.00 and $16.00
The rest of the state moved to $16.00, and New Jersey’s general rate rose to $15.92.
Read the summaryELEVENTH CIRCUIT
Eleventh Circuit Rules on Travel Time for Day Laborers
In Villarino v. Pacesetter Personnel, the court held optional rides could be deducted from pay and travel and waiting time was not paid work time.
Read the summaryNEW YORK
New York Limits Damages for Late Weekly Pay to Manual Workers
A 2025 change to New York Labor Law § 198 limits what manual workers can recover when full wages were paid on time every two weeks, not weekly.
Read the summaryU.S. SUPREME COURT
Employers must prove an exemption
E.M.D. Sales v. Carrera confirmed where the burden of proof sits.
Read the summaryU.S. SUPREME COURT
A day rate is not a salary
Helix Energy v. Hewitt and what it means for workers paid by the day.
Read the summaryThese developments concern rules and cases not handled by Usher Law Group. They are general information, not legal advice.