Overtime update overdue?

The Bush administration's attempt to update overtime laws was blocked by the Senate last month, but retail groups have said they plan to continue pushing for the proposal, which could potentially save retailers millions of dollars in litigation stemming from disputed overtime decisions.

Most observers agree that the so-called "white-collar" exemption regulations, which haven't been touched since 1938 when the Fair Labor Standards Act was implemented, badly need an overhaul. The Labor Department's proposal would reclassify which jobs are considered exempt and paid a salary, and which are subject to overtime pay. That would reduce the opportunity for lawsuits against retailers, according to the Food Marketing Institute and the National Retail Federation.

"The current 'white-collar' regulations are extremely confusing, complicated, and difficult for workers to interpret," says FMI's senior director of government relations, Eric Nicoll. "This has led to an explosion of lawsuits which benefit nobody except trial lawyers. The Bush administration's proposed rule is a step in the right direction."

Labor groups adamantly oppose the proposal, which they say could cause up to 8 million U.S. workers to lose their right to overtime pay. The Labor Department maintains that the update would allow 1.3 million workers to gain overtime.

Retro refrigeration

It's time to dust off that tried-and-true refrigeration unit that has kept going after all these years. Commercial refrigeration manufacturer Master-Bilt is sponsoring a nationwide contest to find its oldest self-contained refrigeration unit. The owner of the oldest unit will be flown to next year's National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago and will be presented with a brand-new model—that is, if the winner wants to get rid of the old one. The "Frozen in Time" contest officially kicked off at NAFEM 2003 (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers) in New Orleans. The search was initiated after several Master-Bilt dealers found their current clients were still using Master-Bilt equipment manufactured many years earlier. For more information about the contest, call (800) 647-1284.

Functional partnership

Look for an added push to the functional foods trend now that the Hain Celestial Group has partnered with Cargill Health & Food Technologies to begin developing new food and beverages addressing health concerns. Hain Celestial's president and c.e.o., Irwin Simon, said the company is already planning extensions to its Rice Dream, Soy Dream, and WestSoy nondairy beverages. "Our beverage categories have already set the bar high nutritionally. With the addition of Cargill's high-value ingredients, proprietary technologies, and food formulation expertise, we expect to surpass consumers' desires for great taste," he says.