Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act: Tools for Workers and Employers

"For 82 years, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has protected America’s workers by establishing minimum wage, overtime and child labor standards. While many current occupations of American workers didn’t exist when the FLSA was signed on June 25, 1938, the law is still a critical tool for ensuring workers receive the pay they earned and creating a level playing field for employers to compete.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division enforces the FLSA and provides many resources that help workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under the FLSA. Here are a few everyone should know:

Workers

• Our Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act explains which employees are covered by the FLSA, provisions for tipped workers, protections for nursing mothers, and much more.
• Our timesheet app helps you keep accurate records of hours on the job, including regular work hours, break time, and overtime hours.
• Our new overtime rule went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, making 1.3 million more American workers eligible for overtime pay. These fact sheets contain more information, including how the rule may impact your occupation.
• Our user-friendly online Workers Owed Wages system lets you know if you are owed back wages collected by the Wage and Hour Division as a result of an investigation..."
  Fair Labor Standards Act

Retaliation: Illegal and Bad for Business

"Last year Jesus Serrato Zuniga and Maria Mendez Zuniga, owners of La Iguana restaurant near Corpus Christi, Texas, fired a cook of 13 years, believing the employee had complained to federal authorities and sparked an investigation that uncovered the Zunigas had been shorting their workers to the tune of $25,000.

It’s illegal to retaliate against workers who speak up about not being paid what they are owed. Federal law protects those who file wage complaints with the U.S. Department of Labor and cooperate with its investigations. Unfortunately, many workers face retaliation whether they’ve formally spoken to authorities, or privately complained directly to their employer..."
Retaliation

Digest of Equal Employment Opportunity Law

"This publication includes feature articles on timely issues in equal employment opportunity law, as well as summaries of recent Commission decisions and federal court cases, as they affect Federal government employees..."
Digest of EEOC Law

Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview

"Since 1926, Congress has enacted three major laws that govern labor-management relations for
private sector and federal employees. An issue for Congress is the effect of these laws on
employers, workers, and the nation’s economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that,
nationwide, 9.2 million employees are represented by unions. In the 112th Congress alone, more
than 30 bills have been introduced to amend federal labor relations statutes. The proposals range
from making union recognition without a secret ballot election illegal to further modifying runoff
election procedures. This legislative activity, and the significant number of employees affected by
federal labor relations laws, illustrate the current relevance of labor relations issues to legislators
and their constituents..."