The Pawffice: What is FLSA and Overtime?

The Pawffice: What is FLSA and Overtime?

People don’t give me enough credit. I work really long hours. I work way more than forty hours per week. I’ll break it down for you. I write blogs, I maintain the morale of the office, and I make sure the clients love me. I just want to make sure that I’m paid appropriately for all the work I put into the firm, and of course I am because we understand employment law better than anyone. Overtime attorney, Hannah Strong, told me that I qualified for FLSA and overtime.

What’s that? Don’t worry. I’ll break it down for you.

So What Is FLSA and Overtime?

The FLSA is the Fair Labor Standards Act. It states that employees are to receive time and a half of their pay for each hour worked after 40 hours. As you might imagine, I am not the best at math. I just see something and go! I don’t have time to count because I have bones to chew and treats to eat, but treats was how I figured out what time and a half means!

I get paid one treat for each hour I work at the firm. (Archie’s Note: I know what you’re thinking. I’m underpaid. I asked for 10 treats per hour and Alan was willing to pay it, but my owner and business agent said I’ll get chunky.)

I digress. I usually get my eight treats per day, for forty total treats per week. If I work longer than forty hours that week, then I get to one and a half treats for each additional hour I worked! So if I work forty-two hours this week, then I get extra treats on Friday! How many extra? I don’t know! Like I said earlier, I don’t have time to count. Click here for a blog on how to calculate your overtime back pay. Trust me, clicking that link will help you calculate it better than me.

Are FLSA and Overtime the Same Thing?

No. The FLSA is the law that helps regulate who all can receive overtime pay. The FLSA also covers minimum wage, federal wage garnishments, recordkeeping, and more!

Who Qualifies for Overtime Pay?

Many different types of employees qualify for overtime pay. Generally, employees who are paid hourly are entitled to overtime pay. The FLSA refers to these types of employees as “nonexempt.” All kinds of hourly workers can qualify for overtime, such as:

Nurses
Construction Workers
Cashiers
Secretaries
Restaurant Employees
Good Doggos Like me

Do Salaried Employees Qualify For Overtime?

It depends on your job. I asked Hannah if she qualified for overtime, but she said that attorneys are exempt from overtime. She said that some types of employees are exempt from the FLSA’s overtime requirements. That means that some people don’t qualify, even if they worked longer than forty hours. These employees get the same amount of treats each week, no matter how many hours they work.

However, there are a lot of salaried positions that are nonexempt and entitled to overtime pay. The most common misconception is that salaried employees can never receive overtime pay. Here’s an article that helps explain it better than I can.