Define: Flsa

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for employees in the private sector as well as federal, state, and local governments.

The FLSA covers most employees in the United States, including full-time and part-time workers. However, certain exemptions exist for specific job categories, such as executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales employees.

As of 2021, the federal minimum wage under the FLSA is $7.25 per hour. However, some states have their own minimum wage laws that set a higher rate, and employers must comply with the higher of the two (federal or state) minimum wages.

No, not all employees are entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA. The law provides exemptions for certain categories of employees, such as those classified as exempt executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales employees, who meet specific criteria related to their job duties and salary.

Overtime pay is calculated as one and a half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for each hour worked over 40 hours in a workweek. For example, if an employee’s regular rate of pay is $10 per hour, their overtime rate would be $15 per hour.

Yes, employers can require employees to work overtime, but they must pay eligible employees overtime wages for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek, unless the employee falls under an exempt category.

In general, private sector employers are not allowed to offer compensatory time off (comp time) in lieu of overtime pay. However, public sector employers, such as government agencies, may offer comp time instead of overtime pay under certain conditions.

No, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for filing a complaint or participating in any proceedings related to the FLSA. Retaliation can include actions such as termination, demotion, or harassment.

Generally, employees have two years from the date the wages were due to file a claim for unpaid wages under the FLSA. However, if the violation was willful, the statute of limitations extends to three years.

Yes, employees have the right to sue their employer for FLSA violations. They can seek remedies such as unpaid wages, liquidated damages (double the amount of unpaid wages), attorney’s fees, and court costs.