jeudi 16 janvier 2014

Essential Information About 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 wages, the standard workday, and overtime pay. The latter regulation is sometimes overridden by specific state laws. However, most parts of the law, as previously mentioned, are enforced in all 50 states.

Although there is no set pattern to the time frame or the increases, federal minimum wage is typically raised on a regular basis. It was raised most recently in 2009 in the month of January, when it increased to a minimum of $7.25. Roosevelt's law initially proposed that these increases adhere to a specific pattern; however, this is no longer in force.

As referred to above, the FLSA laws also address overtime, which is characterized as any amount of time a person spends on the clock that exceeds 40 hours in a single work week. Federal overtime pay is defined as 1 and 1/2 the individual's standard pay rate. Although a nationalized standard is guaranteed under the initial law, individual states have the authority to modify overtime pay to a certain degree.

Record-keeping standards were also set by the aforementioned Act. Employers must maintain records of each worker's personal information, the hours the person works, and the wages he or she receives. Companies must also track weekly and daily earnings, overtime hours, and any additions or deductions associated with the person's pay. Employers are also required to define pay periods so that each worker is entirely clear about the period of time for which he or she is receiving wages.

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.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire