The Rewards of Work - Lessons from the Fair Labor Standards Act

Explore the history, impact, and future of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in this 1-hour 17-minute panel discussion hosted by The Aspen Institute. Learn about the FLSA's establishment of federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and standard work week, as well as its prohibition of child labor in dangerous conditions. Examine the law's initial successes in raising wages for hundreds of thousands of workers, but also its deliberate exclusions that disproportionately affected people of color and women. Discover how these exclusions continue to impact opportunities for these groups today. Analyze the FLSA's recent challenges, including the minimum wage's failure to keep pace with inflation, weak enforcement on wage theft and misclassification of independent contractors, and the stagnant tipped minimum wage. Investigate how some state and local governments and businesses are addressing the FLSA's weaknesses by improving wages and job standards in sectors like domestic and gig work. Gain insights from experts, including David Weil, Rebecca Dixon, Michael Lastoria, Teresa Romero, and Ben Zipperer, as they discuss innovations for creating a more just economy and restoring the commitment to fair compensation. Understand the lessons that can be learned from the FLSA's history to shape the future of work and labor laws in the United States.