The big news this week was a new regulation from the Labor Department on Wednesday, requiring most salaried workers earning up to $47,476 a year to receive time-and-a-half overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours during a week. (The previous cutoff for overtime pay, set in 2004, was $23,660.) Beyond the predictable storm of controversy this regulation generated, it does reveal something important about employment law in general. Namely, much of it comes not from the traditional statutory or case law sources, but from executive agencies. It may not easily lend itself to your favorite online research tools. This is why we librarians are big fans of analytical treatise materials that take into account different sources of law when examining a particular issue.
Here at the law library, we offer numerous specialized resources for researching your employment law issues. Here are just a few titles available in our collection (all of which are continually updated):
- State & Local Government Employment Liability, J. Sanchez (Thomson Reuters)
- Employee Privacy Law, C. Herbert (Clark Boardman Callaghan)
- Covenants not to Compete, M Fillipp and K. Decker (Aspen 3d.)
- Employment Discrimination, R. Larson and J. Harkavy (Bender 2d)
- Employee Dismissal Law and Practice, H. Perritt (Aspen)
A great tool for Minnesota-specific employment law is Employment in Minnesota: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations, and Practices, by N. Sautter (Lexis). For other state-specific research, check out our multi-volume Employment Coordinator (Thomson Reuters). This treatise takes into account the various aspects of employment law against different jurisdictions. So using the index, one can look up a specific subject like “overtime,” or a state like “Minnesota” to find numerous subheadings within. With our Westlaw subscription, one can also search the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for U.S. Department of Labor regulations, as well as Employment Law and Practice (Vol. 17, Minnesota Practice Series)
Yes, given that it comes from multiple sources, thoroughly researching employment law can take some time. You might appreciate spending some time in our bright and comfortable labor and employment room (pictured).
