What federal law sets the requirements for overtime pay in the United States?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the federal law that sets the requirements for overtime pay in the United States. This legislation establishes minimum wage, overtime pay eligibility, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards. Under the FLSA, most employees must receive time-and-a-half pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The law sets forth criteria for determining which employees are entitled to overtime based on various exemptions, such as those for certain salaried employees, executives, and professional workers.

The other laws mentioned, while significant in their own right, do not focus specifically on overtime pay. For instance, the Family and Medical Leave Act primarily pertains to job-protected leave for family and medical reasons, the Equal Pay Act addresses wage discrimination based on sex, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act governs workplace safety and health regulations. Thus, the Fair Labor Standards Act is uniquely positioned as the governing law regarding overtime pay in the U.S.