2026 FLSA Safe Payroll Audits: Correcting Back Wages Before DOL Knocks

Course Summary:

Payroll errors don’t just cost money—they can cost credibility, employee trust, and trigger costly investigations. With the Department of Labor sharpening its focus on wage and hour enforcement in 2026, HR and payroll professionals need more than good intentions; they need a proven strategy to audit, correct, and document payroll practices before regulators come knocking. This webinar will walk you through the essentials of conducting “safe” payroll audits under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), spotlighting the most common compliance pitfalls and how to fix them proactively.

In just 60 minutes, you’ll learn how to identify red‑flag issues, calculate and issue back wages correctly, and build a defensible audit trail that demonstrates good‑faith compliance. We’ll cover practical frameworks, real‑world case examples, and forward‑looking best practices to prepare your organization for the 2026 enforcement climate. Whether you’re in HR, payroll, or compliance, this session will equip you with actionable steps to protect your company, safeguard employees, and stay ahead of the DOL.

Topics Covered During Training:

• Identify the most common FLSA payroll compliance risks in 2026, including misclassification, overtime errors, and improper deductions.
• Apply a step‑by‑step framework for conducting safe payroll audits that uncover hidden wage and hour issues.
• Calculate and correct back wages accurately, ensuring timely remediation and transparent communication with employees.
• Evaluate how technology, AI tools, and cross‑functional collaboration can strengthen payroll audit processes and reduce risk.
• Implement best practices for ongoing compliance monitoring and prepare their organizations for evolving DOL enforcement priorities.

Why Should You Attend:

Payroll compliance isn’t something to put off — the longer errors go unchecked, the greater the risk of costly investigations and penalties. This session gives you the chance to get ahead by learning how to uncover hidden payroll issues, correct back wages before they become liabilities, and position your organization as audit‑ready for 2026. Missing this webinar means missing insider strategies that could save your company thousands in penalties and protect your reputation. Join us and walk away with the confidence to run safe, compliant payroll audits that keep you ahead of enforcement trends.

Who Should Attend:

· HR professionals – all levels

· Employee relations specialists

· Department leaders

· Payroll administrators and specialists

· Business owners

Speaker’s Professional Profile:

Melveen Stevenson is a sought-after human resources consultant and business advisor. As a certified HR professional with a background in accounting and finance, she helps companies to navigate the human resources “jungle” of compliance, human capital, and leadership challenges. In doing so, she empowers companies to strengthen their infrastructure from the inside out, specifically through leadership development, operations, training, employee engagement, and executive coaching.

Melveen speaks on key topics to empower companies with the latest research and best practices for increasing engagement, enhancing leadership presence, and optimizing diverse workforce groups.

Over the last 20 years, Melveen has held leadership positions in human resources operations, supply chain, and talent management at international companies in food manufacturing, medical devices, and consumer products. She was also a faculty member at California State University-Dominguez Hills. She has spent most of her career in California and has expertise in the state’s complicated employment regulations.

Melveen is certified through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR).