Natural Disaster Compliance Assistance Toolkit

Here are three key things employers need to understand when employing workers during natural disasters and recovery efforts:

• Pay for hours worked
  Employers must pay employees at least the federal minimum wage and overtime for hours worked, even during disasters. Some states have different minimum wages, and the law that provides the greatest worker protections applies.
• Volunteers
  Volunteers during emergencies are not required to be compensated but may be paid expenses or nominal fees. Workers cannot volunteer to perform their usual duties without pay.
• Unemployment assistance
  Eligible workers may apply for unemployment or disaster assistance if they're out of work due to a natural disaster.

Learn how the FLSA applies in specific industries and situations:

• Agricultural Workers Employed under the H-2A Program | Spanish version
• Construction industry | Spanish version
• Hotel and motel workers | Spanish version
• Day laborers | Spanish version
• Child labor laws for nonagricultural jobs | Spanish version

Understand employer responsibilities under federal labor laws with these key resources:

• Defining employment relationships | Spanish version
• Avoiding employee misclassification | Spanish version
• Recordkeeping requirements | Spanish version
• Understanding hours worked regulations | Spanish version
• Overtime pay requirements | Spanish version
• Handling furloughs and pay reductions
• Prevailing wage protections for workers on federally funded or assisted contracts
  • Davis-Bacon and Related Acts
  • McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act
• Retaliation against employees is prohibited | Spanish version