Must Churches Pay Overtime and the Minimum Wage?

Two Federal Courts Address The Issue

• Article summary. Must churches pay the minimum wage to their secretaries, bookkeepers, preschool workers, nursery workers, teachers, musicians, and custodians? If so, are there any exceptions? What about volunteer workers and self-employed individuals? If churches must pay the minimum wage, do they also have to pay overtime compensation (i.e., one and one-half times their regular compensation) to employees who work more than 40 hours per week? If so, does this include ministers? This article will address these important questions on the basis of federal law, Department of Labor publications, and two recent federal court decisions.

• Key point 8-05. Congress has enacted a number of employment and civil rights laws regulating employers. These laws generally apply only to employers that are engaged in interstate commerce. This is because the legal ...