Overtime pitfalls: The lurking traps

A rash of wage-and-hour lawsuits is drawing attention to the often-overlooked complexities of overtime pay laws. Think you don't owe overtime? Check our gallery of potential tripwires.

Illustrations by Terry Allen for Fortune Small Business.

Stock Options
Stock Options
Stock options do not make employees exempt. Startup employees who agree to defer compensation in exchange for stock or options could fight for back pay if they would have been entitled to it.
Last updated January 22 2008: 8:59 AM ET

The $23,660 Rule

"Executive" Assistant

IT Employees

Extra Hours

Telecommuting

Comp Time

Stock Options

The Cog Factor

The Overtime Bomb
Why are more and more couples risking romance to launch a business together? How do the successful ones make it work? Five couples - and one ex-couple - share their stories and strategies. (more)
The 150,000 nerds that swarmed to Vegas from around the world didn't witness the birth of the next iPhone or similar blockbuster. In the words of FSB tech columnist Jonathan Blum: "In 2008, the tech thing will be sort of like going to Costco: You'll have to be prepared to dig a bit to get the really good stuff." (more)
Small businesses and artisans are creating some of the most alluring jewelry, housewares, edibles and other indulgences. Check out FSB's picks. (more)

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.