Exempt vs, Non-exempt and how the FLSA Defines Each

Overview:

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) continues to be one of the most critical and commonly misunderstood areas of employment law—especially as the Department of Labor tightens scrutiny and pushes new rulemaking on exemptions and wage protections. For employers navigating this evolving landscape, a clear understanding of who qualifies as exempt or non-exempt, how to handle pay classifications, and what documentation is legally required has never been more urgent. Missteps—even unintentional—can expose companies to back wage claims, penalties, and class action lawsuits.

This session offers a timely overview of current FLSA requirements and how they apply to your workforce, whether you're managing salaried professionals, hourly staff, remote workers, trainees, or independent contractors. You’ll gain clarity on the DOL’s employee classification framework and how federal and state minimum wage standards may conflict—especially in multi-jurisdictional employment situations. With wage thresholds for exemptions actively under review, employers must be proactive in aligning their practices with both existing rules and upcoming legislative shifts.

Using practical examples and scenarios, this webinar will walk you through the criteria that define an "employee" versus a "contractor," and dig into lesser-known categories like volunteers, student trainees, and temporary staff. Attendees will walk away with a working understanding of key exemptions—including the Executive, Administrative, Professional, and Computer-related categories—and how those apply under current interpretations. We'll also address recordkeeping obligations that too often fall through the cracks and become a point of liability during audits or investigations.

Whether you're in HR, payroll, compliance, or operations, this session will help ensure your organization doesn’t just comply with the letter of the law—but understands the nuance behind DOL enforcement trends. If your policies and practices haven’t been reviewed in light of recent FLSA enforcement and proposed changes, this webinar offers the essential groundwork to get your house in order before costly mistakes arise.

Areas covered in the session:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) details
• What is the FLSA and why it is so important
• Who is covered under the FLSA
• How does the FLSA define:
• An Employee
• Temp Employees
• Independent Contractors
• Volunteers
• Trainee/Students
• Minimum Wage federal versus state
• Overtime Rules
• Recordkeeping requirements
• Exempt Vs. Non-Exempt
• The Executive Exemption
• The Administrative Exemption
• The Professional Exemption
• Computer Related Occupations Exemption

Handouts:

Attendees will gain access to exclusive handouts, including presentation materials provided by the speaker and additional resources developed by Amorit Education to aid your teams in post-session implementation.

Why Should You Attend?

Employee classification continues to be one of the toughest compliance challenges for HR and payroll professionals. Even with court rulings and shifting enforcement priorities, the rules around exempt versus non-exempt employees, independent contractors, and temporary staff remain complicated—and mistakes can expose your organization to back pay claims and penalties.

This session will help you sort through those gray areas. We’ll look at how the Department of Labor defines different categories of workers, what recordkeeping requirements employers must meet, and where organizations commonly get tripped up when applying exemptions. The focus is on giving you clarity and confidence in applying the rules that matter most in day-to-day operations.

If you’re responsible for classifying employees, handling pay, or ensuring compliance with wage and hour laws, this webinar offers practical guidance to help you reduce risk, avoid common missteps, and strengthen how your company manages FLSA requirements.

Who Will Benefit?

This webinar is designed for professionals responsible for employee classification, wage and hour compliance, and payroll decision-making under the FLSA. Those include:

• HR Managers
• HR Generalists
• Payroll Managers
• Payroll Specialists
• Compensation and Benefits Manager
• Compliance Officers
• Finance Managers
• Controllers
• Accountants
• Operations Managers
• Small Business Owners
• In-House Counsel
• Legal and Compliance Advisors