The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers and enforces some of the nation's most comprehensive labor laws. These include the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). These laws govern: Minimum wage Overtime Misclassification State Labor Laws In addition to the federal laws, each state has its own labor laws, which vary from state to state.  Learn about each state’s labor laws from the Department of Labor. Contact your state labor office. Business owners: Check out the Small Business Administration's state labor law guides. Minimum Wage The federal minimum wage is the lowest legal hourly pay for many workers. Tipped employees may have a different wage. The minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for covered nonexempt employees.  Many states and cities also have minimum wage laws. Where federal and state laws have different rates, the higher wage applies. Find your state's minimum wage laws and its minimum wage for tipped employees. Overtime Pay An employer may require or permit a worker to work overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act states that workers who clock more than 40 hours per week are to get overtime pay. There are few exceptions to this rule. Learn more about overtime pay. Misclassification An employer says a worker is an independent contractor. The law says the worker is an employee. That's misclassification, which can: Affect a worker’s pay, protections, and benefits Cause tax problems for both businesses and workers If you’ve been misclassified, contact your state labor office or file a complaint with the Department of Labor.