Author: PoP Sponsor (a)

This column is written and sponsored by Alan Lescht and Associates, PC, an employment litigation firm in Washington, DC, that handles cases involving contract disputes, wage and hour issues, discrimination and retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation and security clearances.

Last week, a federal court ruled that employers must compensate hourly employees for rest breaks under 20 minutes.[1]

Progressive Business Publications used to give hourly employees two paid 15-minute breaks per day. However, in 2009, Progressive stopped paying employees for breaks. Instead, the company created a “flex-time” policy that allowed employees to log off their computers at any time. However, if the employee logged off for more than 90 seconds, he didn’t get paid. For example, employees weren’t paid for the time it took them to take a bathroom break.

The court said the company’s policy was “absolutely contrary” to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) because it “forces employees to choose between such basic necessities as going to the bathroom or getting paid.”

The court noted that if employees can take a bathroom break and get back to their desks in 90 seconds, they should be playing professional sports or advertising athletic footwear, instead of working for Progressive. Citing to Harry Potter in a footnote, the court doubted that an employee could manage such a feat even if they had access to a Portkey.

Am I entitled to take breaks?

The FLSA protects employees in every state, but it doesn’t require employers to provide meal or rest breaks. However, certain states have their own laws about employee breaks.

For example, under Maryland’s Shift Break law, retail employers must provide 15-minute breaks to employees who work four to six consecutive hours, and 30-minute breaks to those who work more than six consecutive hours.

There aren’t any additional state-level protections for Virginia and DC employees, but the FLSA still requires some paid breaks. (more…)

This weekly column is written and sponsored by D.C. real estate agent and Edgewood resident Jessica Evans. Email her questions at  [email protected].

Last week, The Wharf celebrated the grand opening of the first phase of the project. What was once an underutilized strip of nondescript buildings hiding the prime DC waterfront has been transformed into a dazzling array of glass and steel. Before you get too nostalgic about the historic Maine Avenue Fish Market, keep in mind it will be back and better than ever in 2018.

In addition to the shops, restaurants, piers and plazas, there are two condo buildings that are part of the first phase of the development, 525 Water and  Vio. It’s understandable that a waterfront view and prime walkable location will come at a price, but the record setting $1,000/square foot price tags at VIO were still somewhat startling even for someone accustomed to high housing costs in DC.

Sure, we’d all love a brand new waterfront condo, but let’s be realistic here, the prices are way out of reach for most DC residents. With that in mind, today I’m exploring the other options in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood, within a few short blocks of the Wharf and at a fraction of the cost.

While real estate agents have been touting The Wharf as a selling feature for years, history shows that the real price appreciation of existing units in the immediate vicinity has yet to take place.

355 I Street SW #114 | 1 bed/1 bath | $395,000 | condo fee $321/month

• Potomac Place Condominium
• Newer construction, built in 2005
• 730 square feet with balcony, in unit washer dryer, open floor plan
• Rental parking available within the building for an additional cost

1301 Delaware Avenue SW #N725 | 2 bed/2 bath | $325,000 | coop fee $851/month

• River Park Mutual Homes Cooperative
• Monthly fee includes all property taxes and utilities
• Amenity filled community
• Total monthly payment (with 20% down) is less than $2,200/month

490 M Street SW #W608 | 1 bed/1 bath | $299,900 | coop fee $704/month

• Waterfront views!
• As close to The Wharf as you can get
• Monthly fee includes all utilities (+cable) and property taxes
• Parking available for sale for $45,000

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Denise Verburg with Long & Foster, a Washingtonian 2016 Best Realtor, and Joe Zamoiski with WashingtonFirstMortgage (NMLS# 118525) are hosting a Home Buying Seminar event on October 18 at the WFM branch office at 1146 19th Street NW. The seminar will last approximately one hour followed by a question and answer period.

The session will consist of a complete home buying overview and valuable home buying strategies that will provide you with some serious savings when you purchase. They will also be sharing tips in how to be successful in a competitive market.

DETAILS

When: Wednesday, October 18, from 7-9 p.m.
Where: WashingtonFirst Mortgage branch at 1146 19th Street NW (near the Farragut and Dupont Metro stations)
Cost: FREE
Parking: Validated parking or street parking
Refreshments:  Complimentary pizza and drinks

Space is limited. To register or for more information visit http://www.besthomebuyingseminars.com/

Denise and Joe have helped hundreds of successful buyers over the last decade and are both consistently ranked in the top 1% nationally. Their unique “team oriented” approach enables buyers to feel very comfortable throughout the process.

*terms and conditions apply, click here for complete details

This weekly column is written and sponsored by D.C. real estate agent and Edgewood resident Jessica Evans. Email her questions at  [email protected].

Myth: When choosing a lender, shop around for the lowest interest rate

Reality: When exploring lenders and mortgage options there are many factors to consider besides the interest rate including:

Advertised low rates 

• A lender can’t offer you an interest rate until you have a property lined up to purchase and they have reviewed your financial qualifications. Those low rates that you see advertised are available to specific borrowers for specific loans, not everyone who uses that lender.

Loan options

• Different lenders do not all offer the same products. Shopping for a mortgage is not like shopping for a car.

Reputation

• Many lenders have reputations, some good, some not so good. In a competitive offer situation, submitting a lender letter from a mortgage provider who doesn’t have a good reputation is not going to help get your offer accepted. In fact, it will likely have the opposite effect.

Why do sellers care?

• A seller who accepts an offer from a buyer whose financing is declined can lose a significant amount of money in terms of carrying costs and a potentially lower sales price if the market has changed.
• Yes, real estate agents are partial towards advising sellers to accept offers from buyers who are working with reputable (usually local) mortgage providers. They don’t receive any financial incentives for recommending a specific lender, and don’t want to be in a situation where a deal falls through because of a bad lender.

What’s the risk?

• If you decide to work with a lender, and they don’t have your loan ready by the settlement date, you as the buyer may be in default of the contract. There is no penalty to the lender. The seller can pursue damages for this default.

The lender you choose has a substantial impact on your home purchase. This decision can impact whether or not your offer is accepted on a home and whether you are able to complete the transaction (or if you will face financial penalties as a result of default).

Yes, a lower interest rate will save you money, but only if you’re first able to complete your home purchase. It’s important to consider more than just the interest rate when exploring your financing options and make an informed decision that will set you up for success.

Wondering what questions you should ask prospective lenders? Check out our list here.

“Dear PoPville readers,

Have you ever hired a moving or cleaning company? What do you think about the way they charge? Do you think their services should be more customizable?

As a young professional living on a budget, I think the prices are very generic with little room for customization. People should be able to pay only for the help they need, right?

Most moving companies never tell you how much each item will cost you. They simply charge per studio or bedroom and decide how many men they will send. It doesn’t matter if you only need to drop off a couch at Good Will or move a fully furnished bedroom. Equally, cleaning companies send you a quote for a studio or a bedroom when what you need cleaned is only the basement or bathroom.

Well, OJAMOVE.COM is here to help change that. Through its service customization algorithm, providers can customize prices and users can compare and pay only for the specific services they need. Each item is priced and the system can calculate total price and weights. You contact the provider knowing the approximate total price, not the other way around.

OJAMOVE is an entirely free budgeting tool for users and providers.

No change is easy and we need your help. Please take our survey, sign up, spread the word and follow us on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Google+.

Thank you for reading my sponsored post! Hope to hear from you soon.”

This column is written and sponsored by Alan Lescht & Associates, PC, an employment litigation firm in Washington, DC, that handles cases involving contract disputes, wage and hour issues, discrimination and retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation and security clearances.

With cold weather right around the corner, people around the District are lining up to get their flu shots. But did you know that DC law has one of the most generous employee sick leave policies in the nation?

What is FMLA leave?

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows qualifying employees to take unpaid leave for medical reasons. Qualified employees may take leave because of their own illnesses or to take care of a sick family member. However, DC has its own FMLA that gives employees additional rights. The DC FMLA provides more weeks of leave to more people:

Do I qualify for DC FMLA leave?

You may be entitled to take DC FMLA leave if you meet all of these requirements:

• You work for an employer in DC that has more than 20 employees.
• You worked for your employer for at least one year with no break in service. Holidays and sick and personal leave don’t count as a break in service. You don’t have to work for a continuous one-period during the year immediately before FMLA leave. However, the continuous period must have occurred sometime within the past seven years.
• You worked at least 1,000 hours during the past 12 months. Paid leave for holidays, illness and vacation, as well as military leave, count towards the hourly requirement.

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