Online Class: Fair Standards Labor Act and the Workforce
Signed into law along with the rest of the New Deal by FDR in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act is perhaps the single most important piece of America legislation with regards to worker's rights.

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15Lessons
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17Exams &
Assignments -
215Students
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6Hours
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0.6CEUs
Course Description
Signed into law along with the rest of the New Deal by FDR in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act is perhaps the single most important piece of America legislation with regards to worker's rights. Borne out of the ravages of the Great Depression, the initial aim of the Fair Labor Standards Act was simple: to curtail the abuses that had been perpetuated on the laborers of the United States for far too long.
The Fair Labor Standards Act is credited with three major large-scale social shifts. It established the minimum wage, and thus the idea that a wage should be capable of supporting the person who earns it. It introduced overtime pay, and with it, created the concept of a 40-hour workweek (though it was 44 hours at first). Before the 40-hour workweek, employers would regularly force employees to work long, long hours with little compensation. Some workers would collapse or even die due to the long hours required.
Finally, the Fair Labor Standards Act outlawed the horrific practice of child labor. During the Industrial Revolution, child labor became particularly useful and particularly exploitable, leading to gross abuses and inhumane conditions. As a result, the Fair Labor Standards Act outlawed use of child labor. This course will be a close examination of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Department of Labor (the department responsible for enforcing it), and of the other labor laws that govern the relationship between employee and employer.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Introduction to the Fair Labor Standards Act
The struggle between labor and capital has been a constant source of conflict within our modern economic landscape, but that struggle is far from new. Go back as far as you can in history and the same struggles play out in different economic systems.
Additional lesson topics: Who is Covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act?; The FLSA; United States v. Darby, 312 U.S. 100 1941
12 Total Points
Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: Motives for Taking this Course
Assessment: Lesson 1 Quiz
Lesson 2: The Role of the DOL and the FLSA
Signing a bill into law doesn't mean that it suddenly is made the case across the country. Laws mean nothing without enforcement and the same is true for the Fair Labor Standards Act. The part of the government responsible for enforcing the FLSA is known as the Department of Labor or the DOL.
Additional lesson topics: DOL Agencies; Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor; U.S. Department of Labor What It Does for You
10 Total Points
Lesson 2 Video
Assessment: Lesson 2 Quiz
Lesson 3: Fair Labor Standards Act Principles
Every law is made up of two existential parts--the letter of the law, and the spirit of the law. Laws are written to address a need. Legislators have a specific goal or a societal issue that must be fixed, and they write the law with the intention of accomplishing that goal or fixing and/or mitigating that societal issue.
Additional lesson topics: Understanding some of the basic but often misinterpreted principles of the FLSA; Fair Labor Standards Act in United States History; Principles of Labor Law
10 Total Points
Lesson 3 Video
Assessment: Lesson 3 Quiz
Lesson 4: Time-of-Payment Requirements
The Fair Labor Standards Act dictates more than just simply the wages paid or the overtime increase. There are specific clauses in the law that also dictate a number of aspects around how you can get paid.
Additional lesson topics: 4 Types of Payment You Might Consider for Employees; Wage and Hour Division WHD ; Regular Rate – FLSA; Wages and Time of Payment
10 Total Points
Lesson 4 Video
Assessment: Lesson 4 Quiz
Lesson 5: The Minimum Wage
For most people, the minimum wage requirements are the most well-known part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime pay is something that is not only very conditional, but also something that is only afforded to full time workers, which are becoming more and more rare as businesses choose to hire more part time employees.
Additional lesson topics: History of Minimum Wage; An Economist's Several Objections to the Minimum Wage; Exceptions to The Federal Minimum Wage Law; Why We Need A Minimum Wage
9 Total Points
Lesson 5 Video
Assessment: Lesson 5 Quiz
Lesson 6: Child Labor
In modern times America, the idea of children being forced to work is completely unacceptable. There is an understanding that children are vulnerable and easily exploited, and that to force them to work is not only potentially dangerous and bad for their health, it also interferes with a child's proper development and robs them of having a true childhood.
Additional lesson topics: Youth and Labor; History of child labor in the United States—part 1: little children working; Exceptions to Child Labor Laws
10 Total Points
Lesson 6 Video
Assessment: Lesson 6 Quiz
Lesson 7: Overtime Pay
Per the provisions set forth by the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are required to pay overtime pay to any employees who work more than 40 hours in one week.
Additional lesson topics: Overtime Exemptions; Your Step-by-Step Guide to Calculating Overtime Pay; Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees
10 Total Points
Lesson 7 Video
Assessment: Lesson 7 Quiz
Lesson 8: Basic Hours Worked Issues
Many of the issues that employers and employees will run into involving hours worked are about the day to day actions of employees.
Additional lesson topics: Did You Bring Your Ethics to Work Today?; Do I Get Paid for Mandatory Meetings?; Unapproved Hours Worked and Time and Attendance Policies; Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences; Managing Employee Attendance
10 Total Points
Lesson 8 Video
Assessment: Lesson 8 Quiz
Lesson 9: Exceptions and Unusual Cases
Due to the complex nature of different types of employment, it has not proven possible for the hourly pay and overtime provisions set down by the Fair Labor Standards Act to be 100% applicable to all situations.
Additional lesson topics: Fair Labor Standards Act – When sleeping time is considered hours worked; Extended Unusual Work Shifts; Requirements For A Valid Belo Contract Under The Federal Fair Labor Standards Act
10 Total Points
Lesson 9 Video
Assessment: Lesson 9 Quiz
Lesson 10: Federal vs. State Protections
Labor laws present an interesting exception to the way that things are usually conducted between the federal and state level governments. Normally, federal laws supersede state laws wherever relevant.
Additional lesson topics: What is the Difference Between State vs. Federal Laws for Employment Disputes?; The Differences between Federal, State, and Local Laws; Do State Labor Laws Supercede Federal Labor Laws?
10 Total Points
Lesson 10 Video
Assessment: Lesson 10 Quiz
Lesson 11: Compensatory Time-Off
Comp time is actually a relatively recent addition to the laws regarding overtime payments. An amendment to the FLSA was passed in 1985 that allowed public employers to offer comp time to their employees instead of the regularly mandated pay for overtime that they had been previously due.
Additional lesson topics: Everything You Need to Know About Comp Time; ‘Comp Time’: The OTHER Form Of Overtime Compensation; Can An Employer Pay Comp Time Instead of Overtime?
10 Total Points
Lesson 11 Video
Assessment: Lesson 11 Quiz
Lesson 12: The Section 207(K) Exemption Rules
Employees who are employed by the state, whether they are at the local, state, or federal level, are still considered to be workers by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA still requires that public employees be paid at least minimum wage, except for the youth minimum wage exception, in addition to time and a half for any overtime hours that the public employees have worked.
Additional lesson topics: Private Sector vs. Public Sector Employee Rights; What Does It Take to ‘Establish’ A Section 207 k Exemption?; Fact Sheet: Guidance on Applying FLSA Overtime Provisions to Law Enforcement Employees Receiving Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime Pay
10 Total Points
Lesson 12 Video
Assessment: Lesson 12 Quiz
Lesson 13: Employers and Employees Who are Exempt
Generally, the Fair Labor Standards Act will apply to most workers. It is designed to be a wide reaching protection for laborers against being exploited, and it wouldn't be very effective at that if it didn't cover most workers.
Additional lesson topics: Difference Between an Exempt and a Non-Exempt Employee; Complying With the FLSA Overtime Rules: The Duties Test; It Takes Two: Exempt Employees Must Meet Both Salary and Duties Tests; Exemptions- Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor
10 Total Points
Lesson 13 Video
Assessment: Lesson 13 Quiz
Lesson 14: Record Keeping Requirements
Easily the least impressive aspect of the original Fair Labor Standards Act is the record keeping requirements. The minimum wage was revolutionary, establishing the idea that people should be able to live comfortably off their work, and not just be used as disposable labor.
Additional lesson topics: How to Comply with Payroll Record-Keeping Requirements; Compliance Assistance; Several aspects that should be included in your employment contract; Recordkeeping Requirements
10 Total Points
Lesson 14 Video
Assessment: Lesson 14 Quiz
Lesson 15: Consequences of Violations
Without consequences, laws are meaningless. For many years now, authorities simply choosing not to enforce a law has been a form of nullifying outdated or unjust laws. Jury nullification, too, is an accepted practice of citizens choosing not to enforce a law in a particular instance.
84 Total Points
Lesson 15 Video
Lesson discussions: End of Course Poll; Course Comments; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Assessment: Lesson 15 Quiz
Assessment: The Final Exam
225
Total Course Points
Learning Outcomes
By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Define the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Define the role of the DOL and the FLSA.
- Describe the Fair Labor Standards Act principles.
- Summarize time-of-payment requirements.
- Summarize the minimum wage regulations.
- Summarize child labor regulations.
- Summarize overtime pay regulations and basic hours worked issues.
- Summarize exceptions and unusual cases.
- Describe state protections.
- Recognize compensatory time-off.
- Describe the section 207(k) exemption rules.
- Describe record keeping requirements.
- Summarize consequences of violations.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
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Course Title:
Fair Standards Labor Act and the Workforce
Course Number:
9770531
Lessons Rating:
4.8 / 5 Stars
(564 votes)
Languages:
English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries
Availability:
This course is online and available in all 50 states including: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas.
Last Updated:
August 2023
Course Type:
Self-Paced, Online Class
CEU Value:
0.6 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
CE Accreditation:
Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
Grading Policy:
Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.
Assessment Method:
Lesson assignments and review exams
Instructor:
Linda Zavadil
Syllabus:
View Syllabus
Course Fee:
$95.00 U.S. dollars
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