Georgia employers must ensure FLSA exemption classifications meet federal salary and duties tests.
Georgia does not have its own state-specific salary threshold or duties test for exempt employees, deferring entirely to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This means employers in Georgia must rigorously apply the FLSA's minimum salary basis of $684 per week and the detailed duties tests for executive, administrative, professional, computer, and outside sales exemptions.
FLSA Exempt + Duties Test
Validates exempt classification against $684/week federal salary basis and duties test. No state-specific threshold.
What those rules do as a Georgia shift is created.
Teambridge continuously monitors employee classifications and compensation against federal FLSA requirements, which govern exemption status in Georgia. Our system validates salary levels and flags potential duties test misalignments based on job profiles, ensuring compliance before issues arise.
Blocks below-threshold salaries
If an employee designated as exempt in Georgia has a salary basis below the federal FLSA threshold of $684/week, the system flags this as a critical violation, preventing potential overtime claims for that employee.
Flags duties test discrepancies
Teambridge analyzes job descriptions and reported duties against FLSA exemption criteria (e.g., executive, administrative, professional). If a role's duties appear inconsistent with an exempt classification, it triggers a review for potential misclassification.
Alerts on Highly Compensated Employee status
For employees earning above $107,432 annually, Teambridge verifies that they meet the minimal duties test for the Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) exemption, ensuring this specialized federal rule is correctly applied in Georgia.
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Georgia defers to federal FLSA for exempt employee classification.
In Georgia, determining whether an employee is exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements is governed exclusively by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The state does not impose its own separate criteria or salary thresholds for exemption. Employers must adhere to the FLSA's salary basis test and the detailed duties tests for various exemption categories.
29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. (Fair Labor Standards Act)
29 CFR Part 541 (Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Computer, and Outside Sales Employees)
Federal Salary Basis Test
To qualify for exemption under the FLSA, employees must generally be paid on a salary basis at not less than $684 per week (effective January 1, 2020). This salary must be a predetermined amount that is not subject to reduction because of variations in the quality or quantity of the work performed. Employees paid less than this amount, regardless of their duties, are typically non-exempt and entitled to overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
Federal Duties Tests
Beyond the salary basis, an employee's primary duties must meet specific criteria for one of the recognized FLSA exemptions. These include:
- Executive Exemption: Primary duty is managing the enterprise or a recognized department/subdivision, customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees, and has authority to hire/fire or make recommendations.
- Administrative Exemption: Primary duty is performing office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or its customers, and involves the exercise of discretion and independent judgment.
- Professional Exemption (Learned or Creative): Primary duty is performing work requiring advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, or work requiring invention, imagination, originality, or talent in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.
- Computer Employee Exemption: Employed as a computer systems analyst, computer programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled worker in the computer field, performing duties like system analysis, program design, or software development.
- Outside Sales Exemption: Primary duty is making sales or obtaining orders/contracts for services or facilities, and customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place(s) of business. This exemption has no salary basis requirement.
Georgia employers must ensure that both the salary and duties tests are met for any employee classified as exempt to avoid potential wage and hour violations.
Teambridge handles Georgia's FLSA exemption rules on autopilot.
Teambridge integrates federal FLSA exemption criteria directly into your payroll and HR workflows. From employee onboarding to ongoing compensation adjustments, our system automatically validates classifications, ensuring continuous compliance with federal standards that apply in Georgia.
Initial classification validation
When a new employee is onboarded and designated as exempt, Teambridge immediately checks their proposed salary against the federal FLSA threshold ($684/week). If below, it flags the potential misclassification for review, preventing non-compliance from day one.
Duties test alignment
Teambridge allows you to associate detailed job descriptions and responsibilities with each role. Our system can analyze keywords and structured data to assess alignment with federal duties tests for executive, administrative, or professional exemptions, highlighting areas of concern.
Salary basis adherence
For each pay period, Teambridge verifies that exempt employees' salaries are paid on a true "salary basis" – not subject to improper deductions. Any deviation that could jeopardize the exemption status is immediately flagged for correction.
Future-proof compliance
Should the federal FLSA salary threshold or duties test criteria change, Teambridge automatically updates its rules. Your system will proactively alert you to any employees whose current compensation or classification would become non-compliant under new regulations.