In this episode, JoDee and Susan attempt to demystify the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Topics include:

• What the FLSA is
• Employment practices the FLSA does NOT regulate
• Classifying employees as exempt or non-exempt
• Common errors in calculating overtime
• Payroll-related records that must be kept
• Classifying workers as employees vs. independent contractors
• Child labor rules that are part of the FLSA
• Penalties for violating the FLSA
• Suggestions for making sure you stay in compliance

In this episode’s listener question, we’re asked whether it’s better to have a bereavement leave policy that offers different amounts of time off depending on the employee’s relationship with the deceased or an open policy depending on the situation and the manager’s discretion. In the news, The Academy to Innovate HR released a report on 11 HR trends for 2026.