Administrative Employees

The FLSA contains an exemption from the payment of both minimum wage and overtime pay to any employee employed as a bona fide administrative employee, as that term is defined by the Regulations, Part 541. To qualify for exemption as an administrative employee, three tests must be met:

• The employee must earn a minimum amount,
• The minimum amount must be paid on a salary or fee basis and
• The employee must perform specific job duties.

The focus of the duties tests for exemption is the employee's primary duty. Primary duty means the principal, main, major or most important duty that the employee performs. The determination of an employee's primary duty must be based on all of the facts in a particular case, with the major emphasis on the character of the employee's job as a whole. While time is not the sole test, as a guideline, an employee who spends more than 50 percent of his or her time performing a specific activity can generally be said to have that activity as his or her primary duty. If the employee spends less than 50 percent of his or her time performing his or her major or most important duty, the employee may still meet the primary duty requirement if other factors support that conclusion. Please review the definition of primary duty for further guidance regarding this requirement.

Is the employee's primary duty the performance of office or non-manual work?

Yes
No