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HR Support on the FLSA Administrative Exemption
Editor's Note: Administrative employees who help a business to run smoothly can sometimes be exempt from overtime.
Overview: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, most employees must be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. However, there are exemptions to this general rule. One of the most commonly applied, and also most frequently misapplied, is the exemption for administrative employees.
When the FLSA was first enacted back in 1938, the line between exempt administrative employees and nonexempt workers was relatively clear. Administrative employees assisted with the running or servicing of the business, while nonexempt employees worked on a manufacturing production line or sold a product in a retail or service establishment.
But when the FLSA regulations were amended in 2004, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) downplayed this distinction. Although it is still a relevant and useful tool in the modern economy, it is not the final word, the DOL said. Rather, when determining employee classification, employers must carefully consider all of the requirements for the administrative exemption.
This can prove quite challenging for HR professionals tasked with employee classification, since many of the key terms used to define the exemption are open to interpretation.
Trends: Many classic administrative tasks such as accounting, quality control, purchasing and procurement, are becoming more and more automated with software and other modern technologies. This may make it more difficult for employers to justify classifying certain employees as administrators.
Author: Michael Cardman, Legal Editor
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About this topic
HR guidance on complying with the FLSA requirements for the administrative exemption.
Administrative Exemption: Key Items
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How to Determine if an Employee Qualifies for the Administrative Exemption
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Employee Classification > Administrative Employees
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FLSA Employee Classification Form
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How should an employer classify "assistant managers" and other managers who perform significant amounts of nonexempt work?
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How does an employer classify an employee who performs two or more distinct types of jobs?