What is the federal law on overtime pay?

In the United States, the federal law on overtime pay is outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the FLSA, overtime pay is required for any hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. The overtime rate must be at least one and a half times the standard rate of pay. In Virginia, employers must also comply with the wage and hour laws of the Commonwealth. The overtime rate is still set at one and a half times the standard rate, and employers must pay overtime for any hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. Employers can choose to pay employees in a few different ways: paying at the overtime rate, offering compensatory time off, or a combination of the two. Compensatory time off is when an employer allows an employee to take paid time off in the future for the extra hours they worked. In addition, the FLSA states that if an employer regularly allows employees to work more than 8 hours in a workday, they are required to pay employees at the overtime rate. It is important to remember that these rules apply to both full-time and part-time employees; those who are paid on a salary basis, as well as those who are paid hourly. An employer who does not comply with the federal and state wage and hour laws could be subject to civil and criminal penalties.

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