PrintNolo.com has a series of articles on Wage & Hour Laws at its Employment Law Center.
You can find an article titled “Wages, Hours and Overtime” at AllBusiness.com.
There are eighteen states which have separate overtime rules that trump federal law. These states are: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Thirty-two states have wage and hour laws that automatically change when the federal Fair Labor Standards Act is altered.
Employers are required to follow the overtime rule that is most favorable to each specific employee. It is thus essential that employers review both state and federal laws to determine which rules apply.
Sweeping changes were made to federal overtime rules in 2004, which changes took effect in August 2004. The Washington Post online has an article about these changes. Another good article on this subject is at the CNNMoney site.
The U.S. Department of Labor has a list of all states and their labor office contact information if you wish to contact your state labor office for information about overtime rules.
