Fair Labor Standards Act: An Overview

This content conveys general information. Do not use it as a substitute for legal advice. Any attorney general opinions cited are available from the League’s Research staff.

Describes the most common employee protections under this federal law requiring a minimum wage, and overtime compensation for extra hours worked under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Understand city responsibilities for record keeping, child labor standards, how to define a workweek, and when you may offer compensatory time off in place of paid overtime and the differences between paying a salary or an hourly wage.