It literally pays to know about federal wage law. Some of the overtime regulations may surprise you. Here’s a breakdown of some main points of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Earn More Per Hour
Overtime is at least one and a half times your regular wage. Tipped employees also qualify for overtime that pays one and a half times their hourly base pay.
Anything Over 40
Overtime starts accruing once you have worked 40 hours in a week. If you worked nine hours per day on Monday and Tuesday but only worked 40 hours for the week, you wouldn’t qualify for overtime.
Better Compensation For Exempt Workers
Did you know that salaried workers are also eligible for overtime? As of December 2016, the qualification threshold was raised significantly to $47,476 per year. This means that salaried employees that have wages at or below that amount are eligible for overtime. This updated regulation collar workers such as professionals who work in the mortgage industry.
Retaliation Is Illegal
By law, you can’t be discriminated against or fired because you filed a complaint or supplied information about an employer’s wage practices. If you feel that you have been adversely treated or otherwise discriminated against because of your protected activity, you can take legal action to recover lost wages, receive damages, and get reinstated to your job.