29 C.F.R. Subpart A—General Requirements
Title 29 - Labor
(a) Items required. Every employer shall maintain and preserve payroll or other records containing the following information and data with respect to each employee to whom section 6 or both sections 6 and 7(a) of the Act apply: (1) Name in full, as used for Social Security recordkeeping purposes, and on the same record, the employee's identifying symbol or number if such is used in place of name on any time, work, or payroll records, (2) Home address, including zip code, (3) Date of birth, if under 19, (4) Sex and occupation in which employed (sex may be indicated by use of the prefixes Mr., Mrs., Miss., or Ms.) (Employee's sex identification is related to the equal pay provisions of the Act which are administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Other equal pay recordkeeping requirements are contained in 29 CFR part 1620.) (5) Time of day and day of week on which the employee's workweek begins (or for employees employed under section 7(k) of the Act, the starting time and length of each employee's work period). If the employee is part of a workforce or employed in or by an establishment all of whose workers have a workweek beginning at the same time on the same day, a single notation of the time of the day and beginning day of the workweek for the whole workforce or establishment will suffice, (6)(i) Regular hourly rate of pay for any workweek in which overtime compensation is due under section 7(a) of the Act, (ii) explain basis of pay by indicating the monetary amount paid on a per hour, per day, per week, per piece, commission on sales, or other basis, and (iii) the amount and nature of each payment which, pursuant to section 7(e) of the Act, is excluded from the “regular rate” (these records may be in the form of vouchers or other payment data), (7) Hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek (for purposes of this section, a “workday” is any fixed period of 24 consecutive hours and a “workweek” is any fixed and regularly recurring period of 7 consecutive workdays), (8) Total daily or weekly straight-time earnings or wages due for hours worked during the workday or workweek, exclusive of premium overtime compensation, (9) Total premium pay for overtime hours. This amount excludes the straight-time earnings for overtime hours recorded under paragraph (a)(8) of this section, (10) Total additions to or deductions from wages paid each pay period including employee purchase orders or wage assignments. Also, in individual employee records, the dates, amounts, and nature of the items which make up the total additions and deductions, (11) Total wages paid each pay period, (12) Date of payment and the pay period covered by payment. (b) Records of retroactive payment of wages. Every employer who makes retroactive payment of wages or compensation under the supervision of the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division pursuant to section 16(c) and/or section 17 of the Act, shall: (1) Record and preserve, as an entry on the pay records, the amount of such payment to each employee, the period covered by such payment, and the date of payment. (2) Prepare a report of each such payment on a receipt form provided by or authorized by the Wage and Hour Division, and (i) preserve a copy as part of the records, (ii) deliver a copy to the employee, and (iii) file the original, as evidence of payment by the employer and receipt by the employee, with the Administrator or an authorized representative within 10 days after payment is made. (c) Employees working on fixed schedules. With respect to employees working on fixed schedules, an employer may maintain records showing instead of the hours worked each day and each workweek as required by paragraph (a)(7) of this section, the schedule of daily and weekly hours the employee normally works. Also, (1) In weeks in which an employee adheres to this schedule, indicates by check mark, statement or other method that such hours were in fact actually worked by him, and (2) In weeks in which more or less than the scheduled hours are worked, shows that exact number of hours worked each day and each week. With respect to each employee in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity (including employees employed in the capacity of academic administrative personnel or teachers in elementary or secondary schools), or in outside sales, as defined in part 541 of this chapter (pertaining to so-called “white collar” employee exemptions), employers shall maintain and preserve records containing all the information and data required by §516.2(a) except paragraphs (a) (6) through (10) and, in addition, the basis on which wages are paid in sufficient detail to permit calculation for each pay period of the employee's total remuneration for employment including fringe benefits and prerequisites. (This may be shown as the dollar amount of earnings per month, per week, per month plus commissions, etc. with appropriate addenda such as “plus hospitalization and insurance plan A,” “benefit package B,” “2 weeks paid vacation,” etc.) Every employer employing any employees subject to the Act's minimum wage provisions shall post and keep posted a notice explaining the Act, as prescribed by the Wage and Hour Division, in conspicuous places in every establishment where such employees are employed so as to permit them to observe readily a copy. Any employer of employees to whom section 7 of the Act does not apply because of an exemption of broad application to an establishment may alter or modify the poster with a legible notation to show that the overtime provisions do not apply. For example:
Overtime Provisions Not Applicable to Taxicab Drivers (section 13(b)(17)). Each employer shall preserve for at least 3 years: (a) Payroll records. From the last date of entry, all payroll or other records containing the employee information and data required under any of the applicable sections of this part, and (b) Certificates, agreements, plans, notices, etc. From their last effective date, all written: (1) Collective bargaining agreements relied upon for the exclusion of certain costs under section 3(m) of the Act, (2) Collective bargaining agreements, under section 7(b)(1) or 7(b)(2) of the Act, and any amendments or additions thereto, (3) Plans, trusts, employment contracts, and collective bargaining agreements under section 7(e) of the Act, (4) Individual contracts or collective bargaining agreements under section 7(f) of the Act. Where such contracts or agreements are not in writing, a written memorandum summarizing the terms of each such contract or agreement, (5) Written agreements or memoranda summarizing the terms of oral agreements or understandings under section 7(g) or 7(j) of the Act, and (6) Certificates and notices listed or named in any applicable section of this part. (c) Sales and purchase records. A record of (1) total dollar volume of sales or business, and (2) total volume of goods purchased or received during such periods (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.), in such form as the employer maintains records in the ordinary course of business. (a) Supplementary basic records: Each employer required to maintain records under this part shall preserve for a period of at least 2 years. (1) Basic employment and earnings records. From the date of last entry, all basic time and earning cards or sheets on which are entered the daily starting and stopping time of individual employees, or of separate work forces, or the amounts of work accomplished by individual employees on a daily, weekly, or pay period basis (for example, units produced) when those amounts determine in whole or in part the pay period earnings or wages of those employees. (2) Wage rate tables. From their last effective date, all tables or schedules of the employer which provide the piece rates or other rates used in computing straight-time earnings, wages, or salary, or overtime pay computation. (b) Order, shipping, and billing records: From the last date of entry, the originals or true copies of all customer orders or invoices received, incoming or outgoing shipping or delivery records, as well as all bills of lading and all billings to customers (not including individual sales slips, cash register tapes or the like) which the employer retains or makes in the usual course of business operations. (c) Records of additions to or deductions from wages paid: (1) Those records relating to individual employees referred to in §516.2(a)(10) and (2) All records used by the employer in determining the original cost, operating and maintenance cost, and depreciation and interest charges, if such costs and charges are involved in the additions to or deductions from wages paid. (a) Place of records. Each employer shall keep the records required by this part safe and accessible at the place or places of employment, or at one or more established central recordkeeping offices where such records are customarily maintained. Where the records are maintained at a central recordkeeping office, other than in the place or places of employment, such records shall be made available within 72 hours following notice from the Administrator or a duly authorized and designated representative. (b) Inspection of records. All records shall be available for inspection and transcription by the Administrator or a duly authorized and designated representative. Each employer required to maintain records under this part shall make such extension, recomputation, or transcription of the records and shall submit to the Wage and Hour Division such reports concerning persons employed and the wages, hours, and other conditions and practices of employment set forth in the records as the Administrator or a duly authorized and designated representative may request in writing. (a) Submission of petitions for relief. Any employer or group of employers who, due to peculiar conditions under which they must operate, desire authority to maintain records in a manner other than required in this part, or to be relieved of preserving certain records for the period specified in this part, may submit a written petition to the Administrator requesting such authority, setting forth the reasons therefor. (b) Action on petitions. If, after review of the petition, the Administrator finds that the authority requested will not hinder enforcement of the Act, the Administrator may grant such authority limited by any conditions determined necessary and subject to subsequent revocation. Prior to revocation of such authority because of noncompliance with any of the prescribed conditions, the employer will be notified of the reasons and given an opportunity to come into compliance. (c) Compliance after submission of petitions. The submission of a petition or the delay of the Administrator in acting upon such petition will not relieve any employer or group of employers from any obligations to comply with all the applicable requirements of the regulations in this part. However, the Administrator will provide a response to all petitions as soon as possible.
Title 29: Labor
PART 516—RECORDS TO BE KEPT BY EMPLOYERS
Subpart A—General Requirements
§ 516.2 Employees subject to minimum wage or minimum wage and overtime provisions pursuant to section 6 or sections 6 and 7(a) of the Act.
§ 516.3 Bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees (including academic administrative personnel and teachers in elementary or secondary schools), and outside sales employees employed pursuant to section 13(a)(1) of the Act.
§ 516.4 Posting of notices.
§ 516.5 Records to be preserved 3 years.
§ 516.6 Records to be preserved 2 years.
§ 516.7 Place for keeping records and their availability for inspection.
§ 516.8 Computations and reports.
§ 516.9 Petitions for exceptions.
§ 516.10 [Reserved]
