The Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) requires that a minimum wage be paid for all hours an employee "is suffered or permitted" to work and that an overtime wage be paid for all hours "worked" over 40 hours in a week. The FLSA does not specifically define "hours worked" or place a limit on the number of hours an employee may work; it requires only that overtime be paid for any hours worked over 40. In general, work time includes all time that employees spend engaged in the principal activities that they are employed to perform. Many state laws on hours of work are more strict than federal requirements. Certain employees are exempt from minimum wage and overtime provisions.
A Common FLSA Pitfall and How to Avoid It
Supervisors with training responsibilities need to be careful about requiring workers to do preparatory work or other training-related activities on their own time--unless they are authorized to approve overtime for the tasks. That's because nonexempt workers who perform such activities may qualify for overtime pay.
FLSA Alert: Pay Employees Appropriately for Shop Time, Travel Time
Shop time, or time spent by employees at the shop, is compensable under the FLSA if the employer requires employees to appear at the shop to take part in activities that are indispensable and integral to the employer's principal activities. Travel time, or the time spent by employees traveling between the shop and the job site, is also compensable. (Time spent getting from home to the job site is not compensable.)
Survey Finds Some Tension About Flexible Schedules
Many men perceive some resentment among coworkers over the flexible schedules offered to working mothers, according to an online survey released by the staffing firm Adecco.
French Prez-Elect Wins on Eliminating 35-Hour Workweek
Winning the election for the presidency of France on Sunday, Nicolas Sarkozy won much of his support from citizens who supported his main campaign promise to "let people work more in order to earn more" by eliminating governmental constraints on the 35-hour workweek.
