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Work & Career

Your rights at work

Under federal law, most hourly workers must get at least $7.25 an hour and time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek. You also have the right to a safe workplace and to report problems without being punished. Many states give you more.

Easy10 min to readFree

You'll need

  • Your pay stubs and your own record of hours

What to know

  1. Minimum wage: the federal minimum is $7.25 an hour. Many states set a higher one, and employers must follow both (U.S. Department of Labor).
  2. Overtime: covered nonexempt employees get at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor).
  3. Weekends and nights: federal law doesn't require extra pay for weekend or night work, or double time. That's up to your employer or your contract (U.S. Department of Labor).
  4. Safety: your employer must keep the workplace free from known safety and health hazards, train you in a language you understand, and provide required safety gear (OSHA).
  5. Speaking up: you can report safety concerns without being punished, and file a complaint with OSHA online, by phone or by letter, even anonymously (OSHA).
Watch out. Keep your own record of the hours you work. If there's ever a dispute about pay, your notes and pay stubs are your evidence.

Good to know

Exempt jobs

Some salaried jobs are exempt from minimum wage and overtime rules. The Labor Department has an online advisor to check (U.S. Department of Labor).

Retaliation

If you're fired, demoted or disciplined for raising a safety concern, you can file a whistleblower complaint with OSHA (OSHA).

Unpaid wages above the minimum

Federal law doesn't have a collection process for promised wages above the minimum, but some states do (U.S. Department of Labor).

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor Minimum wage
  2. U.S. Department of Labor Overtime pay
  3. U.S. Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act
  4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Workers' rights
  5. Occupational Safety and Health Administration File a complaint

Lesson W4.4 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed. See a mistake?