Independent payroll-schedule reference · Updated July 2026 Methodology · Submit a correction
Glossary term

FLSA

Federal law setting minimum wage and overtime.

Definition

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The FLSA also defines the categories of exempt and non-exempt employees, which determines who is entitled to overtime. The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the FLSA. State laws often layer additional requirements (higher minimum wage, daily overtime, meal-period premiums) on top of the FLSA floor.

Example

California's $16+ minimum wage is set above the federal FLSA floor of $7.25.

Related terms

  • Pay period — The recurring window of time covered by a single paycheck.
  • Pay frequency — How often paychecks are issued.
  • Payday — The calendar day wages are deposited.
  • In arrears — Wages paid after the pay period ends.
  • Biweekly — Every other week — 26 paychecks per year.
  • Semimonthly — Twice per month on fixed dates — 24 paychecks per year.

See also