OCAP Unveils FLSA Advisor Tool

>In what it described as “a continued outreach effort to ensure full employer compliance” with the Department of Labor’s new Overtime Security Rule, the Office of Compliance Assistance Policy on Friday launched the  FLSA Overtime Security Advisor .   The tool is intended to help employers and workers obtain information about the new rule, which took effect on August 23, 2004 (see  Reminder for Plan Sponsors: FLSA Amendments Go Into Effect August 23 ).   One in five employers in a recent Hewitt Associates survey said they wouldn’t be ready in time for the August 23 date (see  Plan Sponsors Struggling to be FLSA Compliant ).

>The new online tool is part of the “Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses” program, and is one of several online tools available on the  Department’s Compliance Assistance Web site . The tool helps workers and employers understand the new rules in a question-and-answer format. Employers can use the tool to ensure they are in compliance with the revised rule and are paying workers correctly. Workers can use it to help determine whether they are entitled to overtime pay.

>Additional information about the Overtime Security Rule can also be found on the  Department’s Fairpay Web site , where there are a variety of tools and resources, including fact sheets and on-line training seminars with video and power point presentations.