Colorado Minimum Wage Now $7.02

January 11th, 2008 Posted by Amelia

Colorado’s minimum wage increased to $7.02 on January 1, 2008, as a result of the Colorado Minimum Wage Order 24. The new minimum wage replaces the previous minimum of $6.85, which went into effect on January 1, 2007.

This new Colorado minimum wage doesn’t apply to all workers. Unlike other states with similar laws, Colorado’s minimum wage law applies only to retail and service industries, such as commercial support, health and medical industries and food and beverage industries.

Federal law requires an employee be paid overtime at 1.5 times the usual hourly rate for any time worked over 40 hours in a week. Most of the country is covered by this “overtime”. In Colorado, workers eligible under the minimum wage law are eligible for overtime after 40 hours a week, or for more than 12 hours in one day. Several states, like Colorado have state laws regarding overtime, but many do not. In those states, an employee is either covered by federal overtime law or isn’t covered at all.

Colorado has made several recent changes in its employment laws.

Colorado Statute 8-2-122 became law on January 1, 2007, and requires every employer to copy and maintain those copies of the worker’s identification documents for the federal I-9 form. Additionally, the employer must file a state affirmation within 20 days of hiring a new worker. In this affirmation the employer declares that he or she examined the worker’s identification documents and didn’t alter them in any way. It also states that the employer didn’t knowingly hire an illegal alien.

Colorado isn’t the only state enacting tough new immigration laws. Arizona, too, has established legislation regarding undocumented employees.

As of January 1, 2008, any Arizona employer who knowingly or willingly hires illegal aliens will face tougher sanctions. Rather than being fined, an employer can actually be shut down. The first violation of this law garners the business a 10 day suspension of its license. A second violation results in the employer permanently losing its business license.

Vermont, Missouri and New Mexico are among the fourteen states to raise their state minimum wages as of January 1, 2008. The increases in these fourteen states, however, are just the beginning of a year full of changes.

On the 1st of July, 2008, West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and Pennsylvania will enact raises to their state minimum wages, too. Michigan and Illinois will each up its minimum by 25 cents per hour. Illinois’s rate will go from $7.50 to $7.75 and Michigan’s new rate will be $7.40 per hour.

Workers in Kentucky will receive a raise in minimum wage of $6.55 per hour, a bump of 70 cents from $5.85. A 70 cent raise will also be given to minimum wage employees in West Virginia resulting in a new rate of $7.25 per hour. Pennsylvania workers, however, will enjoy the biggest wage bump. On July 1, 2008, Pennsylvania’s minimum will jump a whopping 90 cents from $6.25 to $7.15 per hour.

Many states have their own minimum wage laws, and several tie the increases to their minimum rates to the increase in the federal minimum wage. On July 24, 2008, therefore, North Carolina, North Dakota and Indiana, among others will enact a rise in their minimum wage rates, too.

Minimum wage in the District of Columbia is also tied to the federal minimum wage. The D.C. law, however, requires its minimum to be at least $1.00 more than the federal rate. On July 24, 2008, therefore, D.C.’s minimum wage rate will become $7.55 per hour, exactly $1.00 greater

Last 10 posts by Amelia

« California Minimum Wage Now $8.00
Delaware Minimum Wage Now $7.15 »
Posted in Colorado, Employment Laws, Minimum Wage, Wage and Hour

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