At Littler's 25th Annual Executive Employer Conference, Garry Mathiason of Littler's San Francisco office and Lee Schreter of Littler's Atlanta office explained that a new defense for wage and hour class actions is emerging due to decisions on recent and upcoming case law, greatly reducing the liability of employers. However, this defense will be effective only if employers take carefully planned preventative measures and proper actions to rectify problematic wage and hour issues with employees. "Managerial training is particularly important, as missteps by first-level managers often lead to FLSA problems," said Schreter. "Training not only can prevent claims but also can limit liability."