In the US, employers are legally bound to pay overtime to employees who work beyond the standard working hours. But violations of overtime laws are not uncommon. In fact, it is one of the most common wage-hour violations. Far too many American workers are not compensated or paid incorrectly for the extra work they do.
One of the major reasons employers can get away with this (and many other) violations of fair wage laws is that many employees are unaware of their legal wage rights.
Here’s a quick reference guide for Nevada overtime pay laws to help those in Silver State know the basic employee rights and ensure they get fairly paid for all the extra hours they put in at work.
Overtime Pay Laws in Nevada
Overtime laws are binding upon Nevada employers unless an employee is exempted from overtime pay per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). These laws exist to provide standard guiding documents for employers and ensure that every worker putting in extra hours at work is paid the same rate.
The Nevada overtime laws require employers to pay their employees 1.5x the standard rate for all the time they put in beyond 40 hours in a workweek if they are given more than the minimum hourly wage rate.
Workers who are paid less than 1.5 times the minimum wage for their work are also legally entitled to daily overtime. They are to be paid 1.5x their regular rate for all the extra hours, i.e., beyond 8 hours in a 24-hour period, they spend at work on a day-to-day basis.
In other words, employees who are paid less than $15.37510.25/hour with essential health benefits (EHB) and those given less than $16.87511.25/hour without health benefits must be paid overtime for working more than 8 hours a day. Those given a higher per-hour wage than the minimum rate are only eligible for overtime if they work more than 40 hours a week.
Revisions made in the Nevada overtime laws lately have made several previously unqualified employees eligible for overtime. The biggest and most impactful of these changes is the increase in the annual salary limit at which employers can deny paying overtime to their employees. It was $23,660 earlier, but the changes in Nevada’s overtime laws in the past few years have increased it to $47,500. Just this one change made more than 4 million salaried employees eligible for overtime in the Silver State.
Employees Exempted from the Nevada Overtime Laws
It may be a bummer for many, but not all working professionals are entitled to receive overtime pay in Nevada. Those exempted from it include railroad and airline employees, drivers, loaders, agricultural workers, domestic workers with written mutual consent (between the worker and employer) on overtime exemption, bona fide administrative and executive professionals, those working in retail, commissioned salespersons, independent contractors, etc. [Find a full list of employees exempted from overtime under Nevada law here].
The Sum Up
Nevada overtime pay laws exist to protect employees against unfair practices and ensure they are justly paid for the extra time they spend at work.
It is one of the basic employee rights to report any violations of overtime laws at their workplaces, getting the employers subjected to regulatory scrutiny, litigation, and penalties, depending on the severity of the violations and the number of people affected by them.
If you aren’t fairly compensated for the extra hours by your employer, talk to an experienced Nevada wage and hour lawyer at The Bourassa Law Group to know how you can claim your unpaid overtime or file a lawsuit against your employer. Contact us today to discuss and get a free case evaluation.
As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Workplace rights are human rights.”
Image Credits
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-holding-us-dollar-bills-4968384/
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