What are hours worked?
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) , hours worked is any time during which an employee performs their job requirements. This includes being on duty at the employer’s premises or working remotely. Employers must pay nonexempt employees at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, with the exception of meal periods. Also, employees that voluntarily work off the clock to complete tasks and projects are entitled to receive compensation for this time.
How many hours employees work typically depends on whether they’re full-time, part-time, or required to stay past the end of their shift. Note that the U.S. Department of Labor doesn’t offer a definition for full-time or part-time employees. Instead, this distinction is left to employers to decide. Despite this, both full-time and part-time employees are protected under the FLSA, as long as they are nonexempt.
Full-time work
Since the FLSA requires employers to pay employees overtime wages for working more than 40 hours, many people consider this full-time work. However, full-time work will vary from company to company and state to state. For example, the California Department of Industrial Relations defines full-time employment as 40 hours per week. In contrast, the Texas Workforce Commission leaves it up to employers to decide.
Part-time work
For employees to be considered part-time workers, they will typically have to work less than full-time employees. This can range anywhere from 16 to 34 hours per week. Just like for full-time work, this will depend on the employer. Part-time employees may also have little to no benefits, such as health care coverage or paid time off.
Overtime work
Nonexempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek must be paid one and a half times their regular rate of pay. So, if your employee earns $10.00 per hour and works 41 hours, you’d pay them $15 for that extra hour.