Wage and hour compliance continues to be challenging for even the most sophisticated companies. Multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts are announced daily. Despite the notoriety around wage and hour lawsuits, most companies are unaware of a compliance issue until a lawsuit arrives on their doorsteps. Don't get me wrong—compliance is difficult. And it has been made even more difficult with ever-changing laws, regulations, and guidance, particularly on the state and local levels. Modern technology has further complicated the analysis as the workplace continues to evolve. As the saying goes, "you don't know what you don't know." The best way to identify these, and other, potential wage and hour issues is with a comprehensive wage and hour audit. With good counsel, these issues can be identified and resolved before the matter escalates into a multimillion-dollar headache. Ryan Bates is a partner in the Washington office of Hunton Andrews Kurth. Read more: 

• Employee exemption classification: A primer
• 5 wage and hour compliance issues that could cost employers
• Payroll company cut loose from wage-and-hour lawsuit