Garment Industry Compliance Assistance Toolkit

Here are a few key things employers need to understand when employing workers in the garment industry:

• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay time and one-half when employees work more than 40 hours in a week, even if they are paid at piece rates.
• Keep records of all wages paid and all hours worked.
• Work on garments at home is normally prohibited.
• Employment of children in non-agricultural industries, like garment, are subject to different laws depending on their age.

Learn how the laws apply to the garment industry:

• Apparel Contractor Guide to Compliance Under the FLSA (PDF)
• Handy Reference Guide to the FLSA
  • Guía Práctica Referente a la Ley De Normas Justas De Trabajo (PDF) (español)
• Apparel Worker Rights Card (PDF)
  • Industria de la Costura (PDF) (español)
  • 服装行业 (PDF) (Chinese)
  • Ngành May Mặc (PDF) (Vietnamese)

Still need guidance? Ask us. WHD provides guidance on how laws apply to specific workplace situations. Request an Opinion Letter.

• Fair Labor Standards Act Minimum Wage Poster (PDF)
  • Cartel de Salario Mínimo Federal (PDF) (español)
  • 联邦最低工资 (PDF) (Chinese)
  • 연방 최저 임금 (PDF) (Korean)
  • Mức Lương Tối Thiểu Của Liên Bang (PDF) (Vietnamese)

Here are additional tips and resources to understand your responsibilities as an employer.

• The FLSA prohibits retaliation against any employee who has filed a complaint or cooperated in an investigation. 
• Employers and employees can keep accurate records of hours on the job with our free DOL-Timesheet App.