Minimum Wage
The Fair Labor Standards Act guarantees, for most employees, payment of at least the federal minimum wage for each hour worked. Effective July 24, 2009 through the present, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for non-exempt employees.
In addition to the federal minimum wage, many states have their own minimum wage laws, some of which require employers to pay employees more than the federally-mandated $7.25 per hour. The Department of Labor provides a state-by-state listing: http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm
What this means for employees is if you work, for example, a 35 hour work week, you must receive at least $253.75 in wages for that week. This equates to $7.25 multiplied by 35 hours of work. There are a few exceptions to this rule – most notably for employees who receive part of their compensation in tips – but your employer may be violating the FLSA if it pays you less than $7.25 per hour.
If you believe that your employer may have violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, please contact the FLSA attorneys at Weiner & Sand LLC.