Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the set of laws designed to protect employees from dishonest employers. If you’ve been victimized by your employer’s violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, you should consult an attorney who has experience dealing with employment law.

MR. MICHAEL A. GALPERN: In the United States, there's a federal statute known as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the FLSA, and this statute applies across the country in every state. And in addition to that, each state has their own statutes, wage and hour statutes. What these laws do is protect the worker, and they ensure that a worker gets an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. That's the foundation of our country. That's what the law is based on, that people who come to work each day are treated fairly. And if you've worked overtime and haven't been paid for overtime, or if you've been misclassified by your employer as exempt for whatever reason, or if you've been told by your employer that you are not entitled to overtime or not entitled to certain benefits that you believe you should, you may, in fact, be the victim of wage and overtime violation, or FLSA violation. You need to speak with an attorney. You need to consult with an attorney who understands these laws and understands how these laws, which are designed to protect the worker, can, in fact, protect you. If you feel that you've been paid for a 35-hour week when in fact, you know you've worked 45 hours, if you feel that your employer makes you do certain things off the books because everybody else does them--generally, that's wrong. Generally, that's illegal. You need to consult an attorney that can advise you of your rights, that can enforce your rights against your employer. Another thing is your employer cannot retaliate against you for visiting with a lawyer to protect your rights at work. You have a right to an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. Sometimes, you need to speak with an attorney who makes sure that that right is protected.