After years of negotiation, the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) announced last week they had reached a settlement with the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor. The agreement centers on Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, a portion of the statute that allows organizations to pay below federal minimum wages to individuals whose earning or productive capacity is affected by a physical or mental disability. More specifically, the agreement:
- Strengthens the flow of information between NDRN, the Protection and Advocacy Agencies (P&As), and the WHD regarding potential violations of subminimum wage certificates by employers;
- Leverages P&A resources, knowledge, and expertise concerning disability issues in each particular jurisdiction, such as locations of suspected wage and hour violations; and
- Supports the sharing of information concerning laws and regulations of common interest among NDRN, the P&As, and the WHD.
Should you wish to read more about this important settlement, please do so here.