Read the fact pattern below and respond the questions.
Fact Pattern
You are the HR Director for a new internet news provider. The company is looking to hire some new reporters to work on a weekly news podcast program focusing on content of interest to working mothers. The company does not want to pay these reporters overtime. Rather, the company plans to pay them a salary of $40,000.
Jane Smith, the Director of News Operations, said she expects these reporters to develop and identify topics for the podcasts each week and to pitch their ideas to the production department. Once they obtain approval from the department, the reporters will then be required to write their stories, conduct any necessary interviews, work with the production department to film any necessary segments, and compile it all together into a podcast.
In researching your response, you located a Fact Sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour DivisionActions . Smith has asked you to propose job descriptions for these reporters so that the company will not have to pay them overtime compensation.
Instructions
Using only the Fact Sheet provided (along with the text and/ or any materials included in the module on Wages, Hours Worked, and Benefits), please:
Draft a memo in which you discuss any issues you see regarding whether the reporters can be properly classified as exempt employees, e.g.,
Which exemption(s) would apply
What are the tests for that exemption, and are they satisfied for the reporters?
In addition, propose a job description for the new reporters in a manner that will support your employer’s desire to not pay overtime compensation.
If there is additional information you would need in order to provide a more complete answer, please note that.