Legal Definitions - Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) is a law that changed labor standards in the United States. It created rules for minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor.

FLSA created the federal minimum wage for most private and public employees. This means that there is a minimum amount of money that employers have to pay their workers. When FLSA was first created, the minimum wage was $0.25 an hour.

FLSA created “time-and-a-half” overtime pay for all work time after 40 hours in a week except for exempted employees. This means that if an employee works more than 40 hours in a week, they have to be paid one and a half times their regular pay for the extra hours.

FLSA restricted employment of children below the age of 16 except for specific areas like agriculture with their own age minimums unless permission is given by a guardian. This means that children under the age of 16 cannot work in most jobs. However, there are some exceptions for jobs like working on a farm. Children under the age of 18 cannot be employed in most hazardous occupations and some specific sectors such as mining or manufacturing.

For example, a 14-year-old cannot work in a factory because it is too dangerous. However, they might be able to work on a farm if their parents give permission.

Overall, FLSA is an important law that helps protect workers and ensure that they are treated fairly.