Non-exempt employees are characterized by which of the following?

Non-exempt employees are primarily characterized by being paid on an hourly basis and entitled to receive overtime pay for hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. This classification is significant under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which outlines specific criteria that differentiate between exempt and non-exempt employees.

Non-exempt employees must be compensated for all hours worked at their regular hourly rate and are entitled to a rate of 1.5 times their regular pay for overtime hours. This protection ensures that employees receive fair compensation for extra hours worked, addressing concerns about potential employer exploitation of workers.

The other options describe characteristics that do not align with the definition of non-exempt employees. For instance, being paid on a commission basis might pertain to exempt employees in some contexts, and similarly, meeting exemption tests directly ties to the characteristics of exempt employees rather than non-exempt. Receiving fixed rewards refers to a salary structure, typically associated with exempt employees who are not entitled to overtime pay, further distinguishing that classification from non-exempt employees.