What is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law in the United States that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards for employers in both the public and private sectors. The FLSA requires that covered employers pay their employees at least the federal minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour) for all hours worked and overtime pay at a rate of one and a half times their regular rate of pay for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The FLSA also contains provisions related to child labor, including restrictions on the types of jobs minors can perform, the hours they can work, and the minimum age for certain types of work. Additionally, the FLSA requires employers to maintain certain records related to employee wages, hours worked, and other employment-related information. The FLSA applies to most employers in the United States, although there are some exemptions for certain types of workers, such as salaried employees who are classified as exempt from overtime pay requirements. State labor laws may also have their own minimum wage and overtime pay requirements that are higher than those established by the FLSA, and employers are required to comply with both federal and state laws. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is responsible for enforcing the FLSA, and employees who believe their rights under the law have been violated can file a complaint with the division.