Fair Labor Standards Act

As someone who works in the human resources space, you need to familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations. For instance, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law establishing minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for most private and public sector employers in the United States. Since its enactment in 1938, the law has been amended several times following the changes in the economy and workforce.

In this glossary, we'll briefly overview FLSA and its key provisions.

Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must pay their employees at least the federal minimum wage currently set at $7.25 per hour. Despite that, some states and municipalities have higher minimum rates. Furthermore, if an employee works more than 8 hours a day, the law requires employers to pay said worker overtime at one and half times their regular pay rate for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

However, certain employees, such as executive, administrative, and professional employees, may be exempt from the overtime pay requirement.

Child Labor Standards and Recordkeeping

The act also restricts the jobs minors can perform and their work hours. For instance, minors between the ages of 14 and 15 years old can only work outside school hours and are limited to during the school week.

In addition, the Fair Labor Standards Act requires every employer to keep accurate records of the hour their employees have worked and wages paid.

Conclusion

To conclude, the FLSA is a vital law that protects workers' rights and ensures that they are paid fairly for their work. So, employers must comply with the law's minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor, and recordkeeping provisions.

That being said, if you believe your employer has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.