Understanding FLSA Laws And Regulations

By Marissa Velazquez


The Fair Labor Standards Act was signed into law in nineteen thirty-eight. Some people refer to these regulations as the FLSA laws. Even though it was surrounded by a certain amount of controversy when first established, it has revolutionized numerous aspects with regard to wages and labor.

The Wage and Hours Division of the US Labor Department administered these laws and they were enforced by the federal government. Then-President Roosevelt signed the Act into law during the aforementioned year, and although several attempts were made to amend it, Congress and the Supreme Court defeated them and the law is very similar today as it was when it was first written. However, Congress has made a few small changes to these regulations over the years.

The law covers the basic workday, wages, and pay for overtime. Regulations concerning the latter may differ from state to state. However, most parts of the Act are enforced nationwide, as mentioned above.

Federal minimum wage is increased at regular intervals, but there is no set pattern to the amount of the increase or the time frame of when these changes take place. The most recent change was in January of 2009, when the minimum wage was increased to $7.25 an hour. Roosevelt's bill originally proposed that wage increases follow a set pattern, but this is no longer a part of the law.

As mentioned previously, FLSA laws also address overtime wages, which are classified as any hours one works that exceed the standard forty hour work week. One and a half times the basic pay rate is the amount the federal government has determined to be overtime pay. Even though the original law guarantees a national standard, individual states are allowed to modify this pay to a certain extent.

The aforementioned Act also regulates standards for record-keeping. Companies must maintain logs of each employee's personal information, the rate of pay he or she receives, and the hours the person works. Businesses must also track daily and weekly earnings, overtime pay, and any deductions or additions associated with the individual's compensation. Employers must also define pay so that all workers know the exact hours for which they are being receiving a paycheck.

The law designates different standards for young citizens. For instance, minors ages 14-17 may work as many as 3 hours a day, or 18 hours a week during the school year. However, during holidays, they can work 8 hour days, and up to 40 hours a week. Those under 14 are not allowed to work under the current child labor regulations. However, jobs such as newspaper routes are typically exempt from regulations concerning child labor.

The purpose of FLSA laws is to protect citizens of the United States from labor practices that are unfair. Unfortunately, some companies try to circumvent regulations of this kind. This is why those who feel they are being treated unfairly at work, or those who think the laws concerning child labor are being circumvented, should get in touch with the proper authorities without delay.




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