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Abstract
This paper discusses how employers might escape the flood of wage and hour suits now evident in the many case reporters and online publications. This paper's thesis carries lessons for both employer and employee advocates: Employers can greatly reduce the threat of wage and hour suits via carefully crafted mandatory arbitration policies with class/representative action waiver provisions, and these waivers will generally be upheld under the Federal Arbitration Act. Part II of this paper briefly discusses the practical economics facing attorneys bringing wage and hour claims, and the importance of the availability of class/representative actions in wage and hour compliance and enforcement. Part III reviews the now much evolved law under the Federal Arbitration Act that allows employers to force almost all employment disputes away from public judicial and jury trial proceedings in mahogany lined courtrooms, and into private conference rooms of Holiday Inns (and the like).