History of FSLA

The FLSA was passed in 1938 after the Depression, when many employers took advantage of the tight labor market to subject workers to horrible conditions and impossible hours. One of the most complex laws of the workplace, the FLSA has been amended many times. It is full of exceptions and exemptions. Most of the revisions and interpretations have expanded the law's coverage, for example: · requiring that male and female workers receive equal pay for work that requires equal skill, effort and responsibility · including in its protections state and local hospitals and educational institutions · covering most federal employees and employees of states, political subdivisions and interstate agencies, and · setting out strict standards for determining, paying and accruing compensatory or comp time -- time given off work instead of cash payments.