Introduction to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

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S ECTION 1 Overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act ....................................................................................................................8 A. Introduction and Summary of Requirements...................................................................................................8 1. Minimum Wage .......................................................................................................................................8 2. Overtime Compensation...........................................................................................................................8 3. Recordkeeping and Posting ......................................................................................................................8 4. Child Labor ..............................................................................................................................................8 5. No Retaliation ..........................................................................................................................................8 6. Equal Pay .................................................................................................................................................9 B. What the FLSA Does Not Require ..................................................................................................................9 1. State Wage and Hour Law .......................................................................................................................9 2. Overtime for Hours Worked Over Eight in a Day....................................................................................9 3. Meal and Break Periods ...........................................................................................................................9 4. Standby or On-Call Pay ...........................................................................................................................9 5. Premium and Severance Pays ................................................................................................................10 6. Limitations on Hours of Work ...............................................................................................................10 C. Remedies and Enforcement...........................................................................................................................10 1. Statute of Limitations .............................................................................................................................10 2. Remedies................................................................................................................................................10 3. Criminal Penalties ..................................................................................................................................11 S ECTION 2 Who is Covered by the FLSA? (or More Importantly, Who is Not Covered?) ...........................................................11 A. Introduction to Coverage Issues ....................................................................................................................11 B. Limited Exclusion for Elected Officials, Their Staff and Certain Employees of Legislative Bodies............12 C. Independent Contractors................................................................................................................................12 D. Trainees .........................................................................................................................................................13 E. Volunteers .....................................................................................................................................................13 F. Unpaid Interns ...............................................................................................................................................14 S ECTION 3 Hours Worked .............................................................................................................................................................14 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................14 B. Distinction Between Work Time and Paid Time...........................................................................................14 C. Employees Cannot Volunteer Work Time ....................................................................................................14 D. Rounding and De Minimis Rules...................................................................................................................15 E. Employees Working in Two or More Agency Jobs ......................................................................................15 F. Meal Breaks...................................................................................................................................................16 G. Rest Breaks....................................................................................................................................................16 H. Breaks for Nursing Mothers ..........................................................................................................................16 I. Sleep Time ....................................................................................................................................................17 J. On-Call or Standby Time ..............................................................................................................................17 K. Pre- and Post-Shift Activities ........................................................................................................................18 L. Donning and Doffing ....................................................................................................................................18 M. Travel Time ...................................................................................................................................................19 1. Travel to and from Work........................................................................................................................19 2. Travel During the Workday ...................................................................................................................19 3. Overnight Travel Under the FLSA.........................................................................................................20 4. Overnight Travel Under California law .................................................................................................20 N. Training Time................................................................................................................................................21 1. General Rule ..........................................................................................................................................21

Introduction to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ©2020 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore iv