Security and Maintenance Workers: Know Your Wage and Hour Rights

Whether you’re patrolling a property or keeping a facility running, you’re covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This federal law protects workers in the security and maintenance service industries, setting minimum standards for pay, overtime, and recordkeeping.

Understanding these rights is key. When you know what the law requires, you’ll be better equipped to recognize if something isn’t right with your paycheck or your treatment on the job.

Here’s what every security guard and maintenance worker should know.

Who’s Covered Under the FLSA?

The Fair Labor Standards Act protects most security guards and maintenance workers; however, there are a few key requirements.

First, your employer must be engaged in interstate commerce or the production of goods for commerce. That includes working for businesses such as:

• Warehouses
• Factories
• Banks
• Insurance companies

Second, if your employer’s annual gross revenue exceeds $500,000, then all employees of the business are covered by the FLSA.

Even if your company is smaller, you may still be individually covered if your work involves interstate commerce, like handling goods or processing transactions that cross state lines.

What Are Your Rights Under the FLSA?

If the Fair Labor Standards Act covers you, you’re entitled to several important protections:

Federal Minimum Wage

You must be paid at least the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 per hour, as of April 2025. Some states or cities may set higher minimums, and employers must follow whichever rate is most favorable to the worker.

Overtime Pay

If you work more than 40 hours in a single workweek, your employer must pay you 1.5 times your regular rate for every additional hour worked. This is known as time-and-a-half.

Accurate Timekeeping

Your employer is required to maintain clear, accurate records of your hours worked. This includes tracking your daily start and end times to ensure you are paid fairly, especially if you are a non-exempt worker.

Youth Employment and Entry-Level Wages

If you’re under 20 years old, the FLSA allows your employer to pay you a youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour—but only for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of your employment. This rule is meant to support entry-level opportunities, not to replace existing workers. Employers can’t use this lower wage to push out older employees or avoid paying standard wages.

For workers under 18, the FLSA also sets important restrictions to protect their safety and education. These include:

• Limits on daily and weekly work hours, especially during the school year.
• Restrictions on the time of day minors can work—early mornings, late nights, and hazardous shifts are generally off-limits.

These rules help ensure that young workers are treated fairly while striking a balance between job experience and well-being.

Wage and Hour Problems to Watch For in Security and Maintenance Jobs

Even with the FLSA in place, wage violations still occur, particularly in industries such as private security and building maintenance. Here’s what to look out for:

Security Guard Companies: Know Your Rights

If you’re employed as a security guard, the law offers important protections:

• You shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for uniforms, firearms, or required tools, especially if those costs drop your pay below minimum wage or cut into your overtime.
• Uniform cleaning costs can’t be passed on to you if they reduce your pay below legal limits.
• Time spent traveling between posts or job sites during your shift counts as paid work time.
• Working at multiple sites? All your hours should be combined for accurate overtime calculations.
• Overtime cannot be averaged across two weeks; only weekly hours are counted.
• Employers can’t hide overtime violations by disguising extra hours as “expense” reimbursements.

Maintenance Service Companies: What to Watch For

If you work in janitorial, cleaning, or general maintenance services, here are the key rules that apply:

• All workers must be paid—even if they’re family members helping out. No one should be left off the payroll.
• Minors under 16 cannot work past 7 PM, except during the summer (June 1 to Labor Day), when the cutoff is 9 PM.
• Overtime pay is required after 40 hours a week, regardless of whether you’re paid hourly, by the job, or on salary.
• Hours worked across multiple buildings or job sites must be combined to calculate overtime.

How Morgan & Morgan Can Help

The FLSA is in place to protect workers in the security and maintenance industries. However, despite having these rules in place, some employers still choose to operate outside the boundaries of the law. 

If you feel your employer isn’t following the rules, please reach out to Morgan & Morgan today for a free case evaluation. Our labor and employment lawyers may be able to step in and ensure that you get the pay you deserve. 

Disclaimer: This information is based on fact sheets that DOL provides.