labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The Ohio Labor Board is there to help you and I in regards to any issues that we may incur while working in our state. In Ohio our minimum wage is $5.15 per hour for non tipped employees and $2.13 per hour for tipped employees. This is in accordance with the national minimums for wages. Our superintendent of the Ohio labor board is Gordon Gatien who is working very hard to not only make sure we are treated properly either as employees or as employers but that we get the help and services that we need from our very own labor board.

The Ohio labor board is responsible for enforcing all of the labor laws that protect us. This not only applies to the minors in our state but anyone who is employed in our state. The state also takes a lot of time and patience to help all employers to understand the labor laws especially when it comes to minors and the limitations that are placed on them in accordance with Ohio laws. They do this by enforcing the laws as well as by performing inspections to insure that the places that we are working at are safe as well. They do this through the use of OSHA as well as through other organizations to maintain the safe work environment for all of us.

In Ohio our unemployment rate for June was 5.1% which is just a little bit higher than the national average of 4.8%. However that is a decrease from the previous month of 5.3% which continues to show how we are improving and making strides to improve the welfare of our state workers. With the Ohio Labor Board there are many things that they are working on to help bring down the unemployment rate as well as determining how to best handle any employment issues that may arise in the future.

Last 10 posts by Kimberly

• Wyoming State Mandatory Poster - October 2nd, 2006
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• Washington State Mandatory Poster - October 2nd, 2006
• Virginia State Mandatory Poster - October 2nd, 2006
• Vermont State Mandatory Poster - October 2nd, 2006
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1. Posted by: Rick

   My wife has to continually tell her employer to pay her her wages every single time payday roles around, if she doesn’t she does not get paid. Additionally, she has worked going on 4 weeks now without a paycheck. When she calls her employer to get her check she is told that she will get it tomorrow but tomorrow comes and still no check. Is there someone that she can report this BAD employer too?

2. Posted by: Amelia

   Hi Rick! The “reminding” is not a violation of any law, but it is a violation of both state and federal minimum wage laws, for the employer not to pay the worker on time. Your wife could report this employer to the Ohio Department of Labor, or to the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor. It would probably also be smart to look for another employer. For a more detailed answer, post a question on our forum at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. And, thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia

3. Posted by: Lori

   I worked at a grocery store part-time. Recently, I was called into a meeting with my boss, her husband, the other manager accused and me. My boss accused me of being involved with this other manager. Mind you, that this other manager is the top manager right under the owner(my boss). She had no proof, of course because it wasn’t true. She told me that there was rumors going around the store. The other manager and I both told her that it wasn’t true. Anyway, he got to keep his job because he was full-time but I lost mine, over rumors. She said she was very family oriented. I thought that this really questioned her as an employer. If she thought that this was true, why would she keep the one that is supposed to be in charge of all the employees?

4. Posted by: Amelia

   Hi Lori! I agree that this owner handled the situation poorly. In a few cases, the EEOC has actually filed discrimination suits when a female employee was treated differently than a male employee, for the same “offense.” In this case, though, the employer would probably justify the treatment by saying that you were part-time, and that is the reason for the different treatment. I would just write it off under the “stuff happens” category and find a better job! HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia

   PS Feel free to post your dilemma on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. They have a lot of great advice over there!!

5. Posted by: andrew elchert

   I was discharged from my job the 1st of october 2008. I was discriminated on a job posting around April of 2008. At this point it was the third time bidding on the job. I had the experience and they wouldn’t test me. Is there any way I could pursue a lawsuit still on job discrimination towards this company? The person they hired for this job had no experience what so ever in this type of position.

6. Posted by: Amelia

   Hi Andrew! Normally we would suggest filing a discrimination complaint with the EEOC, however, the complaint must usually be filed within 6 months. You can certainly try to find a lawyer who will take your case, but it may be difficult.

   We are just curious: did the company give you any reason at all for not testing you for the position?

   You can also post your question on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia

7. Posted by: Kevin

   The company I work for has changed policy to where we have to use 5 days of vacation for a plant shut down at Chistmas & the new year or we will not get paid. This is for salary and hourly personnel. I thought if the plant was shut down companies were supposed to pay you. Is this correct? A lot of us have already used our vacations because of a prolonged power outage. Myself and others have no vacation time left.

8. Posted by: Amelia

   Hi Kevin! In most cases, an employer can require that all workers take vacation at a specific time, as when a plant is shut down for a week.

   Hourly employees who have no vacation time are not entitled to payment for any period when they don’t work. Salaried exempt employees who do any work at all during the week are entitled to payment for the entire week, even if there is no work available for them on some days. However, if the salaried employee does no work for the entire payroll week, he or she need not be paid.

   I posted an article on this very topic on Nov. 7 under Holiday Closures. It should answer most of your questions. For more info, feel free to post questions on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia

9. Posted by: Becky

   I worked for a company for 9 years and was a supervisor for 3 years. In Jan. 2008 I stepped down because of the production supervisor. She never had any faith in me, and was always starting trouble between me and other supervisors. She lied to people in the office. She has done anything she could to me. I got in trouble {from her} for talking. She threated my job. Then the harassment started. She claimed I was refusing to work, had a bad attitude, etc., etc. Never did I ever do any of this. Everyone knows I am nothing like this. On Oct 24 I got laid off. A friend of mine works there and told me the production supervisor was bragging that she got almost everything she wanted, because she lied so much to ones in office What should I do? There are alot of people that were shocked I got laid off and they have also seen this person doing these things to me.

10. Posted by: Amelia

    Hi Becky! There is probably not a lot that you can do to change this situation at this point.

    Technically, an employee is laid off when there is insufficient work for him or her. It sounds like you were actually fired, or terminated for cause.

    If the termination was very recent, you can try to go to the Human Resources department or upper management and get it overturned. However, it is going to be an uphill battle, because you did not challenge anything the production supervisor said at the time. If you genuinely have witnesses to back up your claims, that may help.

    If the production supervisor was saying things to the office staff, and writing you up for reasons that “everybody” knew were untrue, that was the time to try to combat that behavior…not now. It is going to be very difficult and probably impossible for you to prove that she was lying, at this point.

    And, frankly, your former coworker is not being a true friend by reporting this woman’s current actions to you…if the coworker is even telling the truth.

    The best tactic would be for you to file for unemployment, and continue to look for another job. Try to identify someone at your former company who will give you a good reference, and put them down as your reference. For more info, post your question on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~Amelia

11. Posted by: Becky

    Well I did try and talk to the people in the office about all this and this woman convinced them otherwise. I am not the only one she done this to. I guess this is what popping her pain pills does. She is dangerous. Other co-workers have tried to say something also but they believe this woman. Even my supervisor tried to talk to them. Thing is I never missed work , I could do anything there and I did. There is no reason for why I got laid off.
    becky