Basic wage & hour protections are regulated by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) of 1938. The FSLA establishes federal minimum wage rates, overtime pay rules, employer record-keeping requirements and child labor standards for full- and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. 

States may enforce laws that expand wage & hour protections above beyond those provided under the FSLA, but may not act to weaken federal protections. For example, a majority of state legislatures have passed state minimum wage laws with 29 states and the District of Columbia requiring employers to pay minimum wages above the federal minimum of $7.25/hour.

The New Hampshire Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division has the power to investigate violations and enforce state labor regulations that cover payment or non-payment of wages and misclassification of employees as independent contractors. State legislation intended to repeal or weaken the authority of the NH Labor Department to initiate investigations of suspected labor violations at an employer’s worksites and impose immediate penalties for serious violations would mainly benefit low-road employers, and will put more NH workers at risk for wage theft, pay discrimination, misclassification of employee status and other common labor violations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

New Hampshire Department of Labor:
2017 Fact Sheet, Top Ten Labor Violations in NH (PDF)

New Hampshire Department of Labor:
“Stay Violation Free” webpage for employers