Santa And The FLSA

Delivering presents to the well-behaved children all over the world in a single night is hard work. Sure, Santa Claus makes it look easy with his jolly disposition, magical sleigh and team of nine flying reindeer. But does that mean he is any less entitled to compensation? Of course not! Let's just assume that Santa's employer—the North Pole, obviously—is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). To comply with the law, the North Pole, like any other employer, has to ask itself certain questions.

First, is Santa's position exempt or nonexempt? There's no doubt that Santa works more than 40 hours per week during the holiday season. Think of all the letters pouring in from kids across the globe. Think of how much time it takes to figure out who's been naughty and who's been nice. The guy sees you when you're sleeping. If Santa's nonexempt, the North Pole owes him some serious overtime.