Compliance
Multi-State Overtime Compliance Benchmarks for 2024
Multi-state overtime compliance is one of the most error-prone areas in payroll for distributed employers. The U.S. Department of Labor opened more than 33,000 Wage and Hour Division investigations in FY2023, with overtime violations cited in roughly 65% of cases (DOL WHD, FY2023). The average back-pay recovery per affected employee reached $1,393 that same year, and median class action settlements for multi-state overtime claims hit $8.8M (Seyfarth Shaw, 2023). This catalog compiles 18 benchmarks across five categories to help you measure your own compliance posture against current research.
Headline Numbers
DOL opened 33,000+ WHD investigations in FY2023
Overtime violations appeared in roughly 65% of those cases, making overtime the single most common violation category in federal wage-and-hour enforcement (DOL WHD, FY2023).
$1,393 average back-pay per affected employee
When combined with FLSA liquidated damages (equal to back pay), total per-employee exposure reaches approximately $2,786 before attorney fees (DOL WHD, FY2023).