The Fair Labor Standards Act covers only employees, not independent contractors, who typically are hired to work on specific projects.
However, whether a person is an employee for purposes of the FLSA generally turns on whether that worker is employed by a single employer.
The FLSA was passed to govern employers who cheated workers of their fair wages. As a result, employee status is broadly interpreted so that as many workers as possible come within the protection of the law.
If nearly all of your income comes from one company, a court would probably rule that you are an employee of that company for purposes of the FLSA, regardless of whether other details of your work life would appear to make you an independent contractor.
David Payab, Esq. from The Law Offices of Payab & Associates can be reached @ (818) 918-5522 or by visiting http://payablaw.com/