Most of us get motivated by our paychecks and not how passionate we once were when we got jobs. That happens for different reasons, such as an unconducive workspace, annoying work colleagues, a bad work culture, or a bossy boss. Most people stay regardless because, at least, they get paid till they retire. Some go for overtime not because of the job but for the extra money they stand to get.
Most government agencies understand the importance of paychecks, and they have made labor policies that protect employees' pay. These agencies tend to any violations and complaints workers make regarding their wages. These policies are mostly applicable to full-time employees. The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) is not concerned with part-time employees and independent contractors.
We all know what overtime is, right? Well, it is often done by full-time employees when they decide to go for extra hours after their normal working hours. These extra hours come with extra compensation. The DOL (Department of Labor) administered the overtime policy, and of course, it did so with the approval of the FLSA.
The policy states that every employee is eligible for overtime and should get paid at least 1.5 times higher (one and a half) than their regular work period, which is 40 hours per week. That is, no worker should work overtime for free and should not be denied overtime compensation; otherwise, the employer would be violating an FLSA law.
Every state has its regulations and standards for work and wage conditions, which were enacted to prevent unfair worker treatment. Currently, the federal government, through the FLSA, set the wage limit to $7.25 per hour. States can have their regulations, but they must not fall below the federal government's given limit. So, states can either pay the exact minimum wage or something higher.
"Living wage" laws have been enacted by a few local counties and cities, which raise the minimum pay for businesses that are hired to carry out government or local area operations. In certain situations, business owners are required to pay the highest local, state, or federal minimum wage.
Employers are not compelled to pay employees on an hourly basis, even though it is in the statutory minimum wage policy. As long as the entire compensation, when divided by the number of hours the employee worked, equals or exceeds the minimum wage, it is permissible by law.
Most workers want to know about those who are exempted from partaking in overtime. Well, according to the United States DOL (Department of Labor), all workers earning below $35,658 annually or $684 weekly are qualified for overtime compensation. Those who receive higher wages are exempted if they work in any of the following fields:
Now that you might have understood worker's overtime and wage laws, you should know that you have the right to get paid for your work hours. "If you have good reasons to believe that your employer has violated any of your state or federal worker's wage or overtime guidelines, you can seek legal remedy," says attorney Michael Lore of The Lore Law Firm. You can contact an employment attorney that can help you through the process.