labor lawAdivision of labor law center

I find that employers and employees alike are often interested in learning more about the labor laws that may apply to them. My research shows that North Dakota labor laws contain a number of important provisions that you might want to be aware of if you live or work in the state.

One area of the North Dakota labor law that may be of interest is the law regarding the payment of wages and work hour issues. North Dakota has a minimum wage equal to the federal minimum wage of $5.15. Tipped employees may be paid a lower hourly wage of $3.45 per hour, but their total hourly earnings with tips included must be equal to or greater than the minimum wage. Wages in the state must be paid at least once a month. Employees who are separated from their job for any reason must be paid by the next regular pay day. Also, any unused vacation time must be paid with an employee’s final paycheck. Finally, any employee who works five or more hours must be given a 30 minute unpaid, uninterrupted break if there are two or more employees on duty at any given time.

Residents of the state should also be glad to know that North Dakota labor law contains a number of anti-discrimination protections. Employers in North Dakota may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or “participation in lawful activity off the employer‘s premises during non-working hours which is not in direct conflict with the essential business related functions of the employer.” Sexual harassment is also strictly prohibited under state law.

Child labor laws are another topic many people have questions about. North Dakota labor laws require work permits for minors under 16, but not for 16 and 17 year olds. Work hour restrictions are also placed on 14 and 15 year olds, along with restrictions on the types of jobs they may hold. No such restrictions are placed on 16 and 17 year old minors under state law, though there are federal provisions that may apply.

These are just a few topics covered under the North Dakota Labor Laws. Other laws cover topics such as labor unions and labor disputes, the licensing of employment agencies, and so on. An up-to-date listing of North Dakota’s labor laws, as well as relevant federal laws, may be found on the North Dakota Complete Labor Law Poster.

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