Ninth Circuit Approves DOL Rule That Restricts Tip Pooling

Section 203(m) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows employers of tipped employees to take a tip credit against the employer's minimum wage obligation if: (a) notice of the tip credit is provided, and (b) tipped employees are allowed to retain all of their tips, except in the case of tipped employees participating in a valid tip pool that only includes other tipped employees. The DOL's 2011 Regulations provided that employers who do not take a tip credit pursuant to § 3(m) must pay their employees the full cash minimum wage, may not retain employees' tips, and may not require employees to participate in a tip pool that includes non-tipped employees. The 2011 Regulations were a direct response to, and rejection of, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in Cumbie v. Woody Woo, 596 F.3d 577 (9th Cir. 2010), which held that § 3(m) does not preclude employers who do not take a tip credit from maintaining a tip pool that includes non-tipped employees (e.g.