Under the FLSA, which two worker classifications are differentiated?

• A. Exempt and nonexempt
• B. Salaried and hourly
• C. Full-time and part-time
• D. Temporary and permanent

Answer: (A)

Under the FLSA, the important distinction is whether workers are exempt from overtime rules or nonexempt. Exempt employees are not entitled to overtime pay because their job duties and salary level meet specific exemption criteria (such as executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, or certain computer roles) and they’re typically paid on a salary basis. Nonexempt employees are eligible for overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, and they’re often paid hourly or in a way that doesn’t meet the exemption tests. Some employees may be salaried but still nonexempt if they don’t satisfy the exemption requirements, which is why the salary-versus-hourly distinction isn’t the formal FLSA classification. The other pairings—full-time vs part-time or temporary vs permanent—reflect company policy or staffing decisions, not the FLSA’s framework for overtime eligibility. So the correct differentiation under the FLSA is exempt versus nonexempt.