The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, is a Federal statute of general application which establishes minimum wage, maximum hours, overtime pay, equal pay, and child labor requirements that apply as provided in the Act. Employers and employees in enterprises in which retail sales of goods or services are made need to know how the Act applies to employment in these enterprises so that they may understand their rights and obligations under the law. All employees whose employment has the relationship to interstate or foreign commerce which the Act specifies are subject to the prescribed labor standards unless specifically exempted from them. Employers having such employees are required to comply with the Act's provisions in this regard and with specified recordkeeping requirements contained in Part 516 of this chapter. The law authorizes the Department of Labor to investigate for compliance and, in the event of violations, to supervise the payment of unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation owing to any employee. The law also provides for enforcement in the courts.
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THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AS APPLIED TO RETAILERS OF GOODS OR SERVICES
Under the Act as amended in 1966, an employer may have some employees subject to its minimum wages, maximum hours, overtime pay, equal pay, or child labor provisions who would be covered by such provisions under the prior law even if the amendments had not been enacted, and other employees whose coverage under such provisions was provided for the first time by the 1966 amendments. As explained in subparts B and C such provisions of the amended Act may apply to an employee by reason of the activities in which he is individually engaged, or because he is employed in an enterprise whose activities satisfy the conditions prescribed in the law prior to the amendments. On the other hand, such provisions of the amended Act may apply to an employee solely because he is employed in an enterprise whose activities satisfy only the conditions provided in the Act as it was amended in 1966. Previously covered employment in retail and service enterprise is subject to different monetary standards than newly covered employment in such enterprises until February 1, 1971. On and after that date, every such employee subject to the minimum wage provisions will be entitled to not less than $1.60 an hour. However, beginning February 1, 1969, every such employee subject to the overtime provisions is entitled to overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than one and one-half times his regular rate of pay. During the period for which different minimum wage provisions were made applicable, beginning with the effective date of the 1966 amendments on February 1, 1967, and ending on January 31, 1971, a lower minimum wage rate is authorized for employees in employment brought under the minimum wage provisions of the Act for the first time by the amendments than for those subject to the minimum wage provisions under the prior Act. Also, in the period beginning with the effective date of the amendments and ending on January 31, 1969, employees in employment brought under the overtime pay provisions for the first time by the amendments could be employed for a longer workweek without overtime pay, as specified in the Act. Accordingly, employers who do not wish to pay aIl covered employees for employment during such periods the minimum wages and overtime pay required for employment covered under the prior provisions will need to identify those employees who are covered under the prior provisions and those who are covered under the new provisions when wages are computed and paid under the Act.
Before the 1966 amendments, the Act applied, as it still applies, to employees individually engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or in the production of goods for such commerce, and to employees in certain enterprises, including enterprises in which retail sales of goods or services are made. The tests by which coverage based on the employee's individual activities is determined were not changed by the 1966 amendments and are described in subpart B of this part. An employee in an enterprise whose activities satisfy the conditions prescribed in the law prior to the 1966 amendments (discussed in subpart C) is covered under the present Act. Any employee whose employment satisfies the tests by which individual or enterprise coverage is determined under the Act prior to the 1966 amendments and who would not have come within some exemption in the law prior to the amendments is subject to the monetary provisions prescribed in the law for previously covered employees and is entitled to a minimum wage of at least $1.40 an hour beginning February 1, 1967, and not less than $1.60 an hour beginning February 1, 1968, unless expressly exempted by some provision of the amended Act. (In each instance where there is an increase in the minimum wage, the new minimum wage rate becomes effective 12:01 a.m., on the date indicated.) Such an employee is also entitled to overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in any workweek at a rate not less than one and one-half times his regular rate of pay. (Minimum wage rates in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa are governed by special provisions of the Act. Information on these rates is available at any office of the Wage and Hour Division.)
There are many employees of retailers as well as other employees who would not be subject to the minimum wage or overtime pay provisions of the Act as it was prior to the 1966 amendments, either because of their individual activities or because of the activities of the enterprise in which they are employed, but who are brought under the minimum wage or overtime provisions, or both, for the first time by the changed enterprise coverage provisions or changes in exemptions, or both, which were enacted as part of the amendments and made effective February 1, 1967. The following pay standards apply to this newly covered employment, unless a specific exemption has been retained or provided in the amendments; such employees must be paid not less than the minimum wages for hours worked and not less than one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for overtime, as shown in the following schedule:
Minimum wage
Beginning
$1.00 an hour
February 1, 1967.
$1.15 an hour
February 1, 1968.
$1.30 an hour
February 1, 1969.
$1.45 an hour
February 1, 1970.
$1.60 an hour
February 1, 1971 and thereafter.
In each instance where there is an increase in the minimum wage, the new minimum wage rate becomes effective 12:01 a.m., on the date indicated. (Minimum wage rates for newly covered employees in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa are set by wage order under special industry committee procedures. Information on these rates and their effective dates may be obtained at any office of the Wage and Hour Division.)
Overtime pay
Beginning
After 44 hours in a workweek
Feb. 1, 1967.
After 42 hours in a workweek
Feb. 1, 1968.
After 40 hours in a workweek and thereafter
Feb. 1, 1969.
In each instance where a new overtime pay standard is applicable, it shall be effective as to any workweek beginning on or after the date indicated.
This part discusses generally the provisions of the Act which govern its application to employers and employees in enterprises and establishments that make retail sales of goods or services. It discusses in some detail those provisions of the Act which refer specifically to such employers and employees and such enterprises or establishments. The criteria for determining the employments in which these employers and employees may be subject to the law are discussed in subparts B and C of this part and the criteria for exclusion from its provisions under specific exemptions are discussed in subpart D of this part. Other provisions of special interest to retailers and their employees are discussed in subparts E and F of this part.
Bulletins having general application to others subject to the law as well as to retailers and their employees have been issued on a number of subjects of general interest. These will be found in other parts of this chapter of the Code of Federal Regulations. Reference should be made to them for guidance on matters which they discuss in detail and which this part does not undertake to do. They include part 776 of this chapter, discussing general coverage, including the employer-employee relationship under the Act; part 531 of this chapter, discussing methods of payment of wages; part 778 of this chapter, discussing computation and payment of overtime compensation; part 785 of this chapter, discussing the calculation of hours worked; and part 800 of this chapter, discussing equal pay for equal work.
The regulations in this part contain the official interpretations of the Department of Labor with respect to the application under described circumstances of the provisions of law which they discuss. These interpretations indicate the construction of the law which the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator believe to be correct and which will guide them in the performance of their duties under the Act unless and until they are otherwise directed by authoritative decisions of the courts or conclude, upon reexamination of an interpretation, that it is incorrect.
The ultimate decisions on interpretations of the Act are made by the courts ( Mitchell v. Zachry, 362 U.S. 310; Kirschbaum v. Walling, 316 U.S. 517). Court decisions supporting interpretations contained in this bulletin are cited where it is believed they may be helpful. On matters which have not been determined by the courts, it is necessary for the Secretary of Labor and the Administrator to reach conclusions as to the meaning and the application of provisions of the law in order to carry out their responsibilities of administration and enforcement ( Skidmore v. Swift, 323 U.S. 134). In order that these positions may be made known to persons who may be affected by them, official interpretations are issued by the Administrator on the advice of the Solicitor of Labor, as authorized by the Secretary (Reorg. Pl. 6 of 1950, 64 Stat. 1263; Gen. Ord. 45A, May 24, 1950; 15 FR 3290). As included in the regulations in this part, these interpretations are believed to express the intent of the law as reflected in its provisions as constructed by the courts and evidenced by its legislative history. References to pertinent legislative history are made in this part where it appears that they will contribute to a better understanding of the interpretations.
The interpretations of the law contained in this part are official interpretations which may be relied upon as provided in section 10 of the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947. In addition, the Supreme Court has recognized that such interpretations of the Act “provide a practical guide to employers and employees as to how the office representing the public interest in its enforcement will seek to apply it” and “constitute a body of experience and informed judgment to which courts and litigants may properly resort for guidance.” Further, as stated by the Court: “Good administration of the Act and good judicial administration alike require that the standards of public enforcement and those for determining private rights shall be at variance only where justified by very good reasons.” ( Skidmore v. Swift, 323 U.S. 134.) Some of the interpretations in subpart D of this part relating to the scope of the exemption provided for retail or service establishments are interpretations of this exemption as it appeared in the original Act before amendment in 1949 and 1961, which have remained unchanged because they were consistent with the amendments. These interpretations may be said to have Congressional sanction because “When Congress amended the Act in 1949 it provided that pre-1949 rulings and interpretations by the Administrator should remain in effect unless inconsistent with the statute as amended. 63 Stat. 920.” ( Mitchell v. Kentucky Finance Co., 359 U.S. 290.)
On and after publication of this part in the Federal Register, the interpretations contained therein shall be in effect and shall remain in effect until they are modified, rescinded, or withdrawn. This part supersedes and replaces the interpretations previously published in the Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations as part 779 of this chapter. Prior opinions, rulings and interpretations and prior enforcement policies which are not inconsistent with the interpretations in this part or with the Fair Labor Standards Act as amended by the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1961 are continued in effect; all other opinions, rulings, interpretations, and enforcement policies on the subjects discussed in the interpretations in this part are rescinded and withdrawn. The interpretations in this part provide statements of general principles applicable to the subjects discussed and illustrations of the application of these principles to situations that frequently arise. They do not and cannot refer specifically to every problem which may be met by retailers in the application of the Act. The omission to discuss a particular problem in this part or in interpretations supplementing it should not be taken to indicate the adoption of any position by the Secretary of Labor or the Administrator with respect to such problem or to constitute an administrative interpretation or practice or enforcement policy. Questions on matters not fully covered by this part may be addressed to the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20210, or to any Regional or District Office of the Division.
The meaning and application of the provisions of law discussed in this part depend in large degree on the definitions of terms used in these provisions. The Act itself defines some of these terms. Others have been defined and construed in decisions of the courts. In the following sections some of these basic definitions are set forth for ready reference in connection with the part's discussion of the various provisions in which they appear. Some of these definitions and their application are considered in detail in other interpretative bulletins. The application of the others is considered in the sections of this part where the particular provisions containing the defined terms are discussed.
Commerce as used in the Act includes interstate and foreign commerce. It is defined in section 3(b) of the Act to mean “trade, commerce, transportation, transmission or communication among the several States or between any State and any place outside thereof.” (For the definition of “State” see § 779.16.) The application of this definition and the kinds of activities which it includes are discussed at length in the interpretative bulletin on general coverage of the Act, part 776 of this chapter.
To understand the meaning of “production” of goods for commerce as used in the Act it is necessary to refer to the definition in section 3(j) of the term “produced.” A detailed discussion of the application of the term as defined is contained in the interpretative bulletin on general coverage of the Act, part 776 of this chapter. Section 3(j) provides that “produced” as used in the Act “means produced, manufactured, mined, handled, or in any other manner worked on in any State; and for the purposes of this Act an employee shall be deemed to have been engaged in the production of goods if such employee was employed in producing, manufacturing, mining, handling, transporting, or in any other manner working on such goods, or in any closely related process or occupation directly essential to the production thereof, in any State.” (For the definition of “State,” see § 779.16.)
The definition in section 3(i) of the Act states that goods, as used in the Act, means “goods (including ships and marine equipment), wares, products, commodities, merchandise, or articles or subjects of commerce of any character, or any part or ingredient thereof, but does not include goods after their delivery into the actual physical possession of the ultimate consumer thereof other than a producer, manufacturer, or processor thereof.” The interpretative bulletin on general coverage of the Act, part 776 of this chapter, contains a detailed discussion of the application of this definition and what is included in it.
(a) Section 3(k) of the Act provides that “Sale” or “sell”, as used in the Act, “includes any sale, exchange, contract to sell, consignment for sale, shipment for sale, or other disposition.” Since “goods”, as defined, includes any part or ingredient of goods (see § 779.14), a “resale” of goods includes their sale in a different form than when first purchased or sold, such as the sale of goods of which they have become a component part ( Arnold v. Kanowsky, 361 U.S. 388). The Act, in section 3(n), provides one exception to this rule by declaring that “resale”, as used in the Act, “shall not include the sale of goods to be used in residential or farm building construction, repair, or maintenance: Provided, That the sale is recognized as a bona fide retail sale in the industry.” A resale of goods is not confined to resale of the goods as such, but under section 3(k) may include an “other disposition” of the goods in which they are disposed of in a transaction of a different kind; thus the sale by a restaurant to an airline of prepared meals to be served in flight to passengers whose tickets entitle them to a “complimentary” meal is a sale of goods “for resale”. ( Mitchell v. Sherry Corine Corp., 264 F 2d 831 (C.A. 4), cert. denied 360 U.S. 934.)
(b) In construing section 3(s)(1) of the Act as it was prior to the 1966 amendments it should be noted that section 3(n) of the prior Act defined “resale” by declaring that this term, “except as used in subsection (s)(1), shall not include the sale of goods to be used in residential or farm building construction, repair, or maintenance: Provided, That the sale is recognized as a bona fide retail sale in the industry.” Thus, although section 3(n) of the prior Act also provided the one exception to the meaning of “resale”, it made clear that the exception was inapplicable in determining under section 3(s)(1) of the prior Act, “if such enterprise purchases or receives goods for resale that move or have moved across State lines (not in deliveries from the reselling establishment) which amount in total volume to $250,000 or more”. The application of the inflow test under section 3(s) (1) of the prior Act is discussed fully in subpart C of this part.
As used in the Act, State means “any State of the United States or the District of Columbia or any Territory or possession of the United States” (Act, section 3(c)). The application of this definition in determining questions of coverage under the Act's definition of “commerce” and “produced” (see §§ 779.12, 779.13) is discussed in the interpretative bulletin on general coverage, part 776 of this chapter. This definition is also important in determining whether goods “for resale” purchased or received by an enterprise move or have moved across State lines within the meaning of former section 3(s)(1) of the Act (prior to the 1966 amendments) and whether sales of goods or services are “made within the State” within the meaning of the retail or service establishment exemption in section 13(a)(2), as discussed in subpart D of this part.
Section 3(m) of the Act provides that as used in the Act, “wage” paid to any employee:
includes the reasonable cost, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, to the employer of furnishing such employee with board, lodging, or other facilities, if such board, lodging or other facilities are customarily furnished by such employer to his employees: Provided, That the cost of board, lodging, or other facilities shall not be included as a part of the wage paid to any employee to the extent it is excluded therefrom under the terms of a bona fide collective-bargaining agreement applicable to the particular employee: Provided further, That the Secretary is authorized to determine the fair value of such board, lodging, or other facilities for defined classes of employees and in defined areas, based on average cost to the employer or to groups of employers similarly situated, or average value to groups of employees, or other appropriate measures of fair value. Such evaluations, where applicable and pertinent, shall be used in lieu of actual measure of cost in determining the wage paid to any employee. In determining the wage of a tipped employee, the amount paid such employee by his employer shall be deemed to be increased on account of tips by an amount determined by the employer, but not by an amount in excess of 50 per centum of the applicable minimum wage rate, except that in the case of an employee who (either himself or acting through his representative) shows to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the actual amount of tips received by him was less than the amount determined by the employer as the amount by which the wage paid him was deemed to be increased under this sentence, the amount paid such employee by his employer shall be deemed to have been increased by such lesser amount.
As explained in part 531 of this chapter, section 3(m) of the Act governs the payment of wages required by the Act, including payment in other than cash and in tips. Part 531 of this chapter contains the regulations under which the reasonable cost or fair value of such facilities furnished may be computed for inclusion as part of wages required by the Act. Section 3(m) provides a method for determining the wage of a “tipped employee” and this term as defined in section 3(t) of the Act “means any employee engaged in an occupation in which he customarily and regularly receives more than $20 a month in tips”. Regulations under which wage credits are permitted on account of tips paid to “tipped employees” are also contained in part 531 of this chapter.
As explained in the interpretative bulletin on overtime compensation, part 778 of this chapter, employees subject to the overtime pay provisions of the Act must generally receive for their overtime work in any workweek as provided in the Act not less than one and one-half times their regular rates of pay. Section 7(e) of the Act defines “regular rate” in the following language:
(e) As used in this section the regular rate at which an employee is employed shall be deemed to include all remuneration for employment paid to, or on behalf of, the employee, but shall not be deemed to include:
(1) Sums paid as gifts; payments in the nature of gifts made at Christmas time or on other special occasions, as a reward for service, the amounts of which are not measured by or dependent on hours worked, production, or efficiency;
(2) Payments made for occasional periods when no work is performed due to vacation, holiday, illness, failure of the employer to provide sufficient work, or other similar cause; reasonable payments for traveling expenses or other expenses, incurred by an employee in the furtherance of his employer's interests and properly reimbursable by the employer; and other similar payments to an employee which are not made as compensation for his hours of employment;
(3) Sums paid in recognition of services performed during a given period if either, (a) both the fact that payment is to be made and the amount of the payment are determined at the sole discretion of the employer at or near the end of the period and not pursuant to any prior contract, agreement, or promise causing the employee to expect such payments regularly; or (b) the payments are made pursuant to a bona fide profit-sharing plan or trust or bona fide thrift or savings plan, meeting the requirements of the Secretary of Labor set forth in appropriate regulation which he shall issue, having due regard among other relevant factors, to the extent to which the amounts paid to the employee are determined without regard to hours of work, production, or efficiency; or (c) the payments are talent fees (as such talent fees are defined and delimited by regulations of the Secretary) paid to performers, including announcers, on radio and television programs;
(4) Contributions irrevocably made by an employer to a trustee or third person pursuant to a bona fide plan for providing old age, retirement, life, accident, or health insurance or similar benefits for employees;
(5) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid for certain hours worked by the employee in any day or workweek because such hours are hours worked in excess of eight in a day or in excess of the maximum workweek applicable to such employee under subsection (a) or in excess of the employee's normal working hours or regular working hours, as the case may be;
(6) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid for work by the employee on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, or on the sixth or seventh day of the workweek, where such premium rate is not less than one and one-half times the rate established in good faith for like work performed in nonovertime hours on other days; or
(7) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid to the employee, in pursuance of an applicable employment contract or collective-bargaining agreement, for work outside of the hours established in good faith by the contract or agreement as the basic, normal, or regular workday (not exceeding 8 hours) or workweek (not exceeding the maximum workweek applicable to such employee under subsection (a), where such premium rate is not less than one and one-half times the rate established in good faith by the contract or agreement for like work performed during such workday or workweek.
This definition, which is discussed at length in part 778 of this chapter, also governs the computation of “regular rate” for purposes of the special overtime exemption of certain commission employees of retail or service establishments which is contained in section 7(i) of the Act and is discussed in subpart E of this part.
The Act's major provisions impose certain requirements and prohibitions on every “employer” subject to their terms. The employment by an “employer” of an “employee” is, to the extent specified in the Act, made subject to minimum wage and overtime pay requirements and to prohibitions against the employment of oppressive child labor. The Act provides its own definitions of “employer,” “employee”, and “employ”, under which “economic reality” rather than “technical concepts” determines whether there is employment subject to its terms ( Goldberg v. Whitaker House Cooperative, 366 U.S. 28; United States v. Silk, 331 U.S. 704; Rutherford Food Corp. v. McComb, 331 U.S. 722). An “employer”, as defined in section 3(d) of the Act, “includes any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee but shall not include the United States or any State or political subdivision of a State (except with respect to employees of a State or a political subdivision thereof, employed (a) in a hospital, institution, or school referred to in the last sentence of subsection (r) of this section, or (b) in the operation of a railway or carrier referred to in such sentence), or any labor organization (other than when acting as an employer), or anyone acting in the capacity of officer or agent of such labor organization”. An “employee”, as defined in section 3(e) of the Act, “includes any individual employed by an employer” (except that the term is further qualified for purposes of counting man-days of employment by an employer in agriculture). “Employ”, as used in the Act, is defined in section 3(g) to include “to suffer or permit to work”. It should be noted, as explained in the interpretative bulletin on general coverage, part 776 of this chapter, that in appropriate circumstances two or more employers may be jointly responsible for compliance with the statutory requirements applicable to employment of a particular employee. It should also be noted that “employer”, “enterprise”, and “establishment” are not synonymous terms, as used in the Act. An employer may have an enterprise with more than one establishment, or he may have more than one enterprise, in which he employs employees within the meaning of the Act. Also, there may be different employers who employ employees in a particular establishment or enterprise.
As used in the Act (including the definition of “enterprise” set forth in § 779.21), “person” is defined as meaning “an individual, partnership, association, corporation, business trust, legal representative, or any organized group of persons.” (Act, section 3(a).)
(a) Section 3(r) of the Act provides, in pertinent part that “enterprise” as used in the Act:
means the related activities performed (either through unified operation or common control) by any person or persons for a common business purpose, and includes all such activities whether performed in one or more establishments or by one or more corporate or other organizational units including departments of an establishment operated through leasing arrangements, but shall not include the related activities performed for such enterprise by an independent contractor: Provided, That, within the meaning of this subsection, a retail or service establishment which is under independent ownership shall not be deemed to be so operated or controlled as to be other than a separate and distinct enterprise by reason of any arrangement, which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, an agreement, (a) that it will sell, or sell only, certain goods specified by a particular manufacturer, distributor, or advertiser, or (b) that it will join with other such establishments in the same industry for the purpose of the collective purchasing, or (c) that it will have the exclusive right to sell the goods or use the brand name of a manufacturer, distributor, or advertiser within a specified area, or by reason of the fact that it occupies premises leased to it by a person who also leases premises to other retail or service establishments * * *
The scope and application of this definitional language is discussed in subpart C of this part.
(b) The 1966 amendments added two clauses to the above language of the definition to make it clear that “the activities performed by any person or persons” will be regarded as performed for a business purpose if they are performed:
(1) In connection with the operation of a hospital, an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged, the mentally ill or defective who reside on the premises of such institution, a school for mentally or physically handicapped or gifted children, an elementary or secondary school, or an institution of higher education (regardless of whether or not such hospital, institution, or school is public or private or operated for profit or not for profit); or
(2) In connection with the operation of a street, suburban, or interurban electric railway, or local trolley or motorbus carrier, if the rates and services of such railway or carrier are subject to regulation by a State or local agency (regardless of whether or not such railway or carrier is public or private or operated for profit or not for profit).
A discussion of the scope and application of this added language is contained in part 776 of this chapter.
The portions of the former and present definitions of “enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce” (contained in section 3(s) of the Act prior to the 1966 amendments and as amended in 1966) which are important to a determination of the application of provisions of the Act to employees employed by retailers generally and by certain retail or service establishments are as follows:
Previous coverage (prior to the 1966 amendments):
(s) Enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce means any of the following in the activities of which employees are so engaged, including employees handling, selling, or otherwise working on goods that have been moved in or produced for commerce by any person:
(1) Any such enterprise which has one or more retail or service establishments if the annual gross volume of sales of such enterprise is not less than $1 million, exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level which are separately stated and if such enterprise purchases or receives goods for resale that move or have moved across State lines (not in deliveries from the reselling establishment) which amount in total annual volume to $250,000 or more;
(5) Any gasoline service establishment if the annual gross volume of sales of such establishment is not less than $250,000, exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level which are separately stated:
Provided, That an establishment shall not be considered to be an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, or a part of an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, and the sales of such establishment shall not be included for the purpose of determining the annual gross volume of sales of any enterprise for the purpose of this subsection, if the only employees of such establishment are the owner thereof or persons standing in the relationship of parent, spouse, or child of such owner.
New coverage (beginning with the 1966 amendments):
(s) Enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce means an enterprise which has employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, including employees handling, selling, or otherwise working on goods that have been moved in or produced for commerce by any person, and which:
(1) During the period February 1, 1967, through January 31, 1969, is an enterprise whose annual gross volume of sales made or business done is not less than $500,000 (exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level which are separately stated) or is a gasoline service establishment whose annual gross volume of sales is not less than $250,000 (exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level which are separately stated), and beginning February 1, 1969, is an enterprise whose annual gross volume of sales made or business done is not less than $250,000 (exclusive of excise taxes at the retail level which are separately stated);
(4) Is engaged in the operation of a hospital, an institution primarily engaged in the care of the sick, the aged, the mentally ill or defective who reside on the premises of such institution, a school for mentally or physically handicapped or gifted children, an elementary or secondary school, or an institution of higher education (regardless of whether or not such hospital, institution, or school is public or private or operated for profit or not for profit).
Any establishment which has as its only regular employees the owner thereof or the parent, spouse, child, or other member of the immediate family of such owner shall not be considered to be an enterprise engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce or a part of such an enterprise, and the sales of such establishment shall not be included for the purpose of determining the annual gross volume of sales of any enterprise for the purpose of this subsection.
As used in the Act, the term establishment, which is not specially defined therein, refers to a “distinct physical place of business” rather than to “an entire business or enterprise” which may include several separate places of business. This is consistent with the meaning of the term as it is normally used in business and in government, is judicially settled, and has been recognized in the Congress in the course of enactment of amendatory legislation ( Phillips v. Walling, 324 U.S. 490; Mitchell v. Bekins Van & Storage Co., 352 U.S. 1027; 95 Cong. Rec. 12505, 12579, 14877; H. Rept. No. 1453, 81st Cong., 1st Sess., p. 25). As appears more fully elsewhere in this part, this is the meaning of the term as used in sections 3(r), 3(s), 6(d), 7(i), 13(a), 13(b), and 14 of the Act.
In the 1949 amendments to the Act, the term “retail or service establishment”, which was not previously defined in the law, was given a special definition for purposes of the Act. The legislative history of the 1961 and the 1966 amendments to the Act, which use the same term in a number of provisions relating to coverage and exemptions, indicates that no different meaning was intended by the term “retail or service establishment” as used in the new provisions from that already established by the Act's definition. On the contrary, the existing definition was reenacted in section 13(a)(2) of the Act as amended in 1961 and 1966 as follows: “A ‘retail or service establishment’ shall mean an establishment 75 per centum of whose annual dollar volume of sales of goods or services (or of both) is not for resale and is recognized as retail sales or services in the particular industry”. The application of this definition, which has had much judicial construction since its original enactment, is considered at length in subpart D of this part. As is apparent from the quoted language, not every establishment which engages in retail selling of goods or services will constitute a “retail or service establishment” within the meaning of the Act.
Except as otherwise provided in specific exemptions, the minimum wage, maximum hours, overtime pay, equal pay, and child labor provisions of the Act have applied and continue to apply subsequent to the 1966 amendments to employees who are individually engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for such commerce as these terms are defined in the Act and to employees in certain enterprises described in the amended section 3(s) which were covered under section 3(s) of the Act prior to the amendments. Through the broadening of the definition of a covered enterprise the Act's coverage was extended to additional employees because of their employment in certain enterprises beginning February 1, 1967, and in certain other enterprises beginning February 1, 1969. Such covered enterprises are described in section 3(s) as enterprises engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce and further described in sections 3(s) (1) through (4) of the amended Act. A detailed discussion of the coverage of employees in those enterprises covered under the prior and amended Act of interest to the retail industry is contained in subpart C of this part. The employer must comply with the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Act with respect to all employees who are covered either because they are individually engaged in interstate or foreign commerce or in the production of goods for such commerce, or because of their employment in an enterprise covered under the prior or amended enterprise definition of the Act, except those who may be denied one or both of these benefits by virtue of some specific exemption provision of the Act. Of special interest to the retailer in a covered enterprise is the exemption from the minimum wage and overtime provisions for certain small retail or service establishments of such enterprise. This exemption is applicable under the conditions and subject to exceptions stated in section 13(a) (2) of the Act to any retail or service establishment which has an annual dollar volume of sales of less than $250,000 (exclusive of certain excise taxes) even if the establishment is a part of an enterprise that is covered by the Act. This exemption and other exemptions of particular interest to retailers and their employees are discussed in subparts D and E of this part. The child labor provisions as they apply to retail or service businesses are discussed in subpart F of this part.
It is the purpose of this part to provide an official statement of the views of the Department of Labor with respect to the application and meaning of those provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, hereinafter referred to as the Act, which govern rights and obligations of employees and employers in the various enterprises in which retail sales of goods or services are made. The application of the Act to employment in such enterprises was greatly broadened by amendments effective September 3, 1961. The Act's application was extended to employment in additional retail and service enterprises by the Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1966, effective February 1, 1967. Under the amended Act, there are many employees employed by retail or service establishments and in enterprises having such establishments engaged in the retail selling of goods or services who must be employed in compliance with its provisions. It is an objective of this part to make available in one place, for the guidance of those who may be concerned with the provisions of the law, the official interpretations of these provisions by which the Department of Labor will be guided in carrying out its responsibilities under the Act.
It is clear that Congress intended the Fair Labor Standards Act to be broad in its scope. “Breadth of coverage is vital to its mission.” ( Powell v. U.S. Cartridge Co., 339 U.S. 497.) An employer who claims an exemption under the Act has the burden of showing that it applies. ( Walling v. General Industries Co., 330 U.S. 545; Mitchell v. Kentucky Finance Co., 359 U.S. 290; Fleming v. Hawkeye Pearl Button Co., 113 F. 2d 52.) Conditions specified in the language of the Act are “explicit prerequisites to exemption.” ( Arnold v. Kanowsky, 361 U.S. 388.) “The details with which the exemptions in this Act have been made preclude their enlargement by implication.” ( Addison v. Holly Hill, 322 U.S. 60; Maneja v. Waialua, 349 U.S. 254.) Exemptions provided in the Act “are to be narrowly construed against the employer seeking to assert them” and their application limited to those who come plainly and unmistakably within their terms and spirit; this restricted or narrow construction of the exemptions is necessary to carry out the broad objectives for which the Act was passed. ( Phillips v. Walling, 324 U.S. 490; Mitchell v. Kentucky Finance Co., supra; Arnold v. Kanowsky, supra; Calaf v. Gonzalez, 127 F. 2d 934; Bowie v. Gonzalez, 117 F. 2d 11; Mitchell v. Stinson, 217 F. 2d 210; Fleming v. Hawkeye Pearl Button Co., 113 F. 2d 52.)
The Act has applied since 1938 and continues to apply to all employees, not specifically exempted, who are engaged: (a) In interstate or foreign commerce or (b) in the production of goods for such commerce, which is defined to include any closely related process or occupation directly essential to such production. (See §§ 779.12-779.16 for definitions governing the scope of this coverage.) Prior to the 1961 amendments a retailer was not generally concerned with the coverage provisions as they applied to his individual employees because retail or service establishments ordinarily were exempt. However, in some cases such coverage was applicable as where employees were employed in central offices of warehouses of retail chain store systems and, therefore, were not exempt. (See § 779.118.) Some exemptions for retail or service establishments were narrowed as a result of the 1961 amendments and further revised or eliminated by the 1966 amendments effective February 1, 1967. Therefore, discussion of the individual coverage provisions of the Act is pertinent and this subpart will discuss briefly the principles of such coverage with particular reference to employment in the retail or service trades. A more comprehensive discussion with respect to employees engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce may be found in part 776 of this chapter, the general coverage bulletin.
Employees are “engaged in commerce” within the meaning of the Act when they are performing work involving or related to the movement of persons or things (whether tangibles or intangibles, and including information and intelligence) among the several States or between any State and any place outside thereof. (The statutory definition of commerce is contained in section 3(b) of the Act and is set forth in § 779.12.) The courts have made it clear that this includes every employee employed in the channels of such commerce or in activities so closely related to this commerce, as to be considered a part of it as a practical matter. (Court cases are cited in the discussion of this term in §§ 776.9-776.13 of this chapter). Typically, but not exclusively, employees engaged in interstate or foreign commerce include employees in distributing industries, such as wholesaling or retailing, who sell, handle or otherwise work on goods moving in interstate commerce as well as workers who order, receive, pack, ship, or keep records of such goods; clerical and other workers who regularly use the mails, telephone or telegraph for interstate communication; and employees who regularly travel across State lines while working.
The activities constituting “production” within the meaning of the phrase “engaged in * * * the production of goods for commerce” are defined in section 3(j) of the Act. (The statutory definition is set forth in § 779.13.) The handling or otherwise working on goods intended for shipment out of the State, directly or indirectly, in engagement in the “production” of goods for commerce. Thus, employees in retail stores who sell, pack, or otherwise work on goods which are to be shipped or delivered outside of the State are engaged in the production of goods for commerce. Typically, but not exclusively, employees engaged in the production of goods for interstate or foreign commerce, include those who work in manufacturing, processing and distributing establishments, including wholesale or retail establishments, that produce goods for interstate or foreign commerce. This includes everyone, including office, management, sales and shipping personnel, and maintenance, custodial and protective employees, whether they are employed by the producer or an intermediary. Employees may be covered even if their employer does not ship his goods directly in such commerce. The goods may leave the State through another firm. The workers may produce goods which become a part or ingredient of goods shipped in interstate or foreign commerce by another firm. Also covered are workers who are engaged in a closely related process or occupation directly essential to such production. (See § 779.105.)
Some employees are covered because their work, although not actually a part of such production, is “closely related” and “directly essential” to it. This group of employees includes bookkeepers, stenographers, clerks, accountants and auditors and other office and white collar workers, and employees doing payroll, timekeeping and time study work for the producer of goods; employees in the personnel, labor relations, advertising, promotion, and public relations activities of the producing enterprise; work instructors for the producer; employees maintaining, servicing, repairing or improving the buildings, machinery, equipment, vehicles or other facilities used in the production of goods for commerce, and such custodial and protective employees as watchmen, guards, firemen, patrolmen, caretakers, stockroom workers, and warehousemen; and transportation workers bringing supplies, materials, or equipment to the producer's premises, removing waste materials therefrom, or transporting materials or other goods, or performing such other transportation activities, as the needs of production may require. These examples are illustrative, rather than exhaustive, of the group of employees of a producer who are “engaged in the production of goods for commerce” by reason of performing activities closely related and directly essential to such production.
Where the work of an employee would be closely related and directly essential to the production of goods for commerce if he were employed by a producer of the goods, the mere fact that the employee is employed by an independent employer will not justify a different answer. (See §§ 776.17(c) and 776.19 of this chapter.)
The term goods is defined in section 3(i) of the Act and has a well established meaning under the Act since it has been contained in the statute from the date of its enactment in 1938. A comprehensive statement of the meaning of the term “goods” is contained in part 776 of this chapter, which also cites the court cases in which the term was construed. The statutory definition of “goods” is set forth in § 779.14. It will be observed that the term “goods” includes any part or ingredient of the goods. Also that “goods” as defined in the Act are not limited to commercial goods, or articles of trade, or, indeed, to tangible property, but include “articles or subjects of commerce of any character.” Thus telegraphic messages have been held to be “goods” within the meaning of the Act ( Western Union Tel. Co. v. Lenroot, 323 U.S. 490). Some of the “articles or subjects of commerce” which fall within the definition of “goods” include written materials such as newspapers, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, bulletins, and announcements; written reports, fiscal and other statements and accounts, correspondence, and other documents; advertising, motion pictures, newspaper and radio copy; art work and manuscripts for publication; sample books, letterheads, envelopes, shipping tags, labels, checkbooks, blankbooks, book covers, advertising circulars, and wrappers and other packaging materials.
Goods are “produced for commerce” if they are “produced, manufactured, mined, handled or in any other manner worked on” in any State for sale, trade, transportation, transmission, shipment or delivery, to any place outside thereof. Goods are produced for commerce where the producer intends, hopes, expects, or has reason to believe that the goods or any unsegregated part of them will move (in the same or in an altered form or as a part or ingredient of other goods) in interstate or foreign commerce. If such movement of the goods in commerce can reasonably be anticipated by the producer when the goods are produced, it makes no difference whether he himself or the person to whom the goods are transferred puts the goods in interstate or foreign commerce. The fact that goods do move in interstate or foreign commerce is strong evidence that the producer intended, hoped, expected, or had reason to believe that they would so move. Goods produced to serve the movement of interstate commerce within the same State are also produced for commerce within the meaning of the Act, as explained in part 776 of this chapter.
The Act makes no distinction as to the percentage, volume, or amount of activities of either the employee or the employer which constitute engaging in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. However, an employee whose in-commerce or production activities are isolated, sporadic, or occasional and involve only insubstantial amounts of goods will not be considered “engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce” by virtue of that fact alone. The law is settled that every employee whose activities in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, even though small in amount are regular and recurring, is considered “engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce”.
The discussion in §§ 779.103 to 779.109 included general reference to types of employees in the retail or service field whose individual activities constitute engagement in interstate or foreign commerce or in the production of goods for such commerce within the meaning of the Act. There are many classes of employees customarily employed by retail or service establishments or enterprises whose individual activities ordinarily constitute engagement in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of the Act. The groups of employees discussed in the following §§ 779.111 to 779.118, are illustrative only. There are other employees whose activities may be covered; also there are other activities performed by the groups discussed which would result in individual coverage under the Act.
Buyers and their assistants, employed by retail businesses, as a regular part of their duties, generally travel across State lines, or use the mails, telegraph, or telephone for interstate communication to order goods; or they regularly send or receive, across State lines, written reports, messages or other documents. These activities of such employees constitute engagement “in commerce” within the meaning of the Act.
Similarly office employees of retail businesses who regularly and recurrently check records of and make payments for goods shipped to their employer from outside of the State, or regularly and recurrently keep records of or otherwise work on the accounts of their employer's out-of-State customers, or who regularly and recurrently prepare or mail letters, checks, reports or other documents to out-of-State points, are engaged both in commerce and in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of the Act. Likewise, timekeepers who regularly and recurrently prepare and maintain payrolls for and pay employees who are engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce are themselves engaged in covered activities.
Warehouse and stock room employees of retail businesses who regularly and recurrently engage in the loading or unloading of goods moving in commerce, or who regularly and recurrently handle, pack or otherwise work on goods that are destined to out-of-State points are engaged in covered activities.
Transportation employees of retail businesses, such as truck drivers or truck drivers' helpers, who regularly and recurrently cross State lines to make deliveries or to pick up goods for their employer; or who regularly and recurrently pick up at rail heads, air, bus or other such terminals goods originating out of State, or deliver to such terminals goods destined to points out of State; and dispatchers who route, plan or otherwise control such out-of-State deliveries and pick ups, are engaged in interstate commerce within the meaning of the Act.
Watchmen or guards employed by retail businesses who protect the warehouses, workshops, or store premises where goods moving in interstate or foreign commerce are kept or where goods are produced for such commerce, are covered under the Act.
Custodial and maintenance employees who perform maintenance and custodial work on the machinery, equipment, or premises where goods regularly are produced for commerce or from which goods are regularly shipped in interstate commerce are engaged in covered activities.
A salesman or a sales clerk who regularly and recurrently takes orders for, or sells, or selects merchandise for delivery to points outside the State or which are to be shipped or delivered to a customer from a point outside the State, i.e. drop shipments; or who wraps, packs, addresses or otherwise prepares goods for out-of-State shipments is performing covered activities.
Employees providing central services for a multiunit organization may be engaged both “in commerce” and “in the production of goods for commerce” within the meaning of the Act. For example, employees engaged in work relating to the coordinated purchasing, warehousing and distribution (and in the administrative and clerical work relating to such activities) for various retail units of a chain are covered under the Act. (See Phillips Co. v. Walling, 324 U.S. 490; Walling v. Jacksonville Paper Co., 317 U.S. 564, affirming, 128 F. 2d 935 (CA-5); Mitchell v. C. & P. Stores, 286 F. 2d 109 (CA-5); Mitchell v. E. G. Shinner & Co., Inc., 221 F. 2d 260 (CA-7); Donovan v. Shell Oil Co., 168 F. 2d 776 (CA-8).) In addition, employees who regularly and recurrently correspond and maintain records of activities of out-of-State stores and such employees as traveling auditors, inventory men, window display men, etc., who regularly travel from State to State in the performance of their duties are covered under the Act. (See Mitchell v. Kroger Co., 248 F. 2d 935 (CA-8).)
Of course, it should be noted that although employees may be engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce within the meaning of the Act, they may be exempt from the Act's minimum wage or overtime provisions (or both). For a complete list of such exemptions the Act should be consulted. Those exemptions, however, which are of particular interest to employers and employees in the retail field are discussed in subparts D, E, and F of this part.
The 1961 amendments for the first time since the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 provided that all employees in a particular business unit are covered by the Act. Prior to the 1961 amendments each employee's coverage depended on whether that employee's activities were in commerce or constituted the production of goods for commerce. All employees employed in an “enterprise” described in section 3(s)(1) through (5) of the Act as it was amended in 1961 and section 3(s)(1) through (4) of the Act as amended in 1966 are also covered. Thus, it is necessary to consider the meaning of the term “enterprise” as used in the Act.
The term “enterprise” is defined in section 3(r) of the Act and, wherever used in the Act, is governed by this definition. (§ 779.21(a) provides that portion of the definition of “enterprise” which is pertinent with respect to retail and service enterprises.) The term is a key in determining the applicability of the Act to these businesses. The “enterprise” is the unit for determining whether the conditions of section 3(s)(1) through (5) of the prior Act and section 3(s)(1) through (4) of the amended Act, including, where applicable, the requisite dollar volume are met. The “enterprise” is also the unit for determining which employees not individually covered by the Act are entitled to the minimum wage, overtime, and equal pay benefits, and to the child labor protection, under sections 6, 7, and 12 of the Act. In general, if the “enterprise” comes within any of the categories described in section 3(s)(1) through (5) of the prior Act or section 3(s)(1) through (4) of the amended Act, all employees employed in the “enterprise” are covered by the Act and, regardless of their duties, are entitled to the Act's benefits unless a specific exemption applies.
Under the definition, the “enterprise” consists of “the related activities performed * * * for a common business purpose.” All of the activities comprising the enterprise must be “related.” Activities serving a single business purpose may be related, although different, but other activities which are not related are not included in the enterprise. The definition makes clear that the enterprise includes all such related activities which are performed through “unified operation” or “common control.” This is true even if they are performed by more than one person, or in more than one establishment, or by more than one corporate or other organizational unit. Specifically included, as a part of the enterprise, are departments of an establishment operated through leasing arrangements. On the other hand, the definition excludes from the “enterprise” activities only performed “for” the enterprise rather than as a part of it by an independent contractor even if they are related to the activities of the enterprise. Also, it makes clear that a truly independent retail or service establishment does not become a part of a larger enterprise merely because it enters into certain types of franchise or collective purchasing arrangements or because it has a common landlord with other such retail establishments.
The coverage, exemption and other provisions of the Act depend, in part, on the scope of the terms employer, establishment, or enterprise. As explained more fully in part 776 of this chapter, these terms are not synonymous. The term employer has been defined in the Act since its inception and has a well established meaning. As defined in section 3(d), it includes, with certain stated exceptions, any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee. (See § 779.19.) The term establishment means a distinct physical place of business rather than an entire business or enterprise. (See § 779.23.) The term enterprise was not used in the Act prior to the 1961 amendments, but the careful definition and the legislative history of the 1961 and 1966 amendments provide guidance as to its meaning and application. As defined in the Act, the term enterprise is roughly descriptive of a business rather than of an establishment or of an employer although on occasion the three may coincide. The enterprise may consist of a single establishment (see § 779.204(a)) which may be operated by one or more employers; or it may be composed of a number of establishments which may be operated by one or more employers (see § 779.204(b)). The enterprise is not necessarily coextensive with the entire business activities of an employer; a single employer may operate more than one enterprise (see § 779.204(c)). The Act treats as separate enterprises different businesses which are unrelated to each other even if they are operated by the same employer.
(a) The single establishment business. In the simplest type of organization—the entire business ordinarily is one enterprise. The entire business activity of the single owner-employer may be performed in one establishment, as in the typical independently owned and controlled retail store. In that case the establishment and the enterprise are one and the same. All of the activities of the store are “related” and are performed for a single business purpose and there is both unified operation and common control. The entire business is the unit for applying the statutory tests. If the coverage tests are met, all of the employees employed by the establishment are employed in the enterprise and will be entitled to the benefits of the Act unless otherwise exempt.
(b) The multiunit business. In many cases, as in the typical chain of retail stores, one company conducts its single business in a number of establishments. All of the activities ordinarily are related and performed for one business purpose, the single company which owns the chain also controls the entire business, and the entire business is a single enterprise. The dollar volume of the entire business from all of its establishments is added together to determine whether the requisite dollar volume tests are met. If the coverage tests are met, all of the employees employed in the business will be entitled to the benefits of the Act unless otherwise exempt.
(c) Complex business organizations. In complex retail and service organizations, questions may arise as to whether certain activities are a part of a particular enterprise. In some cases one employer may operate several separate enterprises; in others, several employers may conduct their business activities in such a manner that they are part of a single enterprise. The answer, in each case, as to whether or not the “enterprise” includes certain activities will depend upon whether the particular activities are “related” to the business purpose of such enterprise and whether they are performed with its other activities through “unified operation” or “common control,” or whether, on the other hand, they are performed for a separate and distinct business purpose. As the Senate Report states,
related activities conducted by separate business entities will be considered a part of the same enterprise where they are joined either through unified operation or common control into a unified business system or economic unit to serve a common business purpose.
(S. Rept. 145, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 41; see also H. Rept. 1366, 89th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 9.) §§ 779.205 through 779.211 discuss the terms of the definition and may aid in making these determinations.
Cite this law
THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AS APPLIED TO RETAILERS OF GOODS OR SERVICES (U.S.C.). Retrieved via LawPlayer, https://lawplayer.com/us/act/cfr-title-29-part-779
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