Department of Labor elaws Advisor Â» Help Understanding FLSA Overtime Compliance

DOL unveils newest elaws Advisor

Posted on 09-May-07 by The Timekeeper

The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour division yesterday unveiled their newest elaws Advisor, the FSLA Overtime Calculator. This calculator is designed to help both management and workers understand and calculate overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act rules.

According to the DOL:

The department’s elaws advisors are Internet-based compliance tools to help both employers comply with federal employment laws and workers understand their rights under these laws. By asking a series of questions, each advisor simulates a conversation with a Labor Department expert and provides the user with information on the law’s requirements.

Personally, I think this is an excellent idea, and the elaws Advisors are a great resource! Wage and hour laws are confusing to many small business owners, and — while these are no substitute for a conversation with an actual expert — they certainly do help employers begin to understand what they need to do to stay in compliance with the law.

With these tools available for free, there’s no reason not to use them… particularly since your employees may also be using them to check up on you. This just makes it even more important for employers to keep honest time and attendance records, accurately process payroll and make sure they’re aware of and in compliance with overtime rules and regulations.

A good place to start would be the FirstStep Employment Law Advisor. This Advisor is “designed to help employers determine which laws administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) apply to their business or organization and to provide links to information about how to comply with these laws.”

You can access the complete suite of elaws Advisors at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/advisors.html.