labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Effective July 24, 2009 when the federal minimum wage increased from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour, the Virginia minimum wage increased to $7.25 per hour, as well.

 

Every Virginia employer must update his or her labor law posters to reflect the change.

 

In the 2007, the Fair Minimum Wage Act enacted a series of increases for the federal minimum wage to be accomplished over a three year period. Each increase would be 70 cents and would occur on July 24. The first increase took place in 2007, the second in 2008, and the third and last increase in 2009.

 

That last increase went into effect on July 24, 2009 and increased the federal minimum from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour. This increase affected most of the employers in Virginia, including those covered by the state minimum wage.

 

Many Virginia employers are covered by the federal minimum wage.

 

The federal minimum wage is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) which applies to businesses with earnings of $500,000 or more per year. FLSA also applies to employers, and individual employees engaged in interstate commerce.

 

A company that manufacturers goods for sale in other states is engaged in interstate commerce, as is a company that send catalogs and other mail to customers out-of-state. Any company that uses the Internet for communication is engaged in interstate commerce, too. With so many employers utilizing the Internet for communications, for promotion (i.e. via a website) and for sales, it is rare to find a business that does not engage in interstate commerce.

 

Individual employees who accept credit cards or out-of-state checks as payment are engaged in interstate commerce. Workers who answer out-of-state phone calls or receive packages from out-of-state vendors are also engaged interstate commerce. These employees would be entitled to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

 

For example, a small town hardware store in Virginia may serve local customers and buy from local vendors. An employee who accepts credit cards or out-of-state checks for payment is engaged in interstate commerce and entitled to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. A worker who stocks the shelves and does not accept payments would receive the Virginia minimum of $7.25 per hour – the same rate.

 

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1. Posted by: Ines Salazar

   Could you please send me information about the new wages in DC, Maryland, Virginia and Illinois.

   Thanks you in advance

   Ines

2. Posted by: Amelia

   Hi Ines! Unfortunately, we don’t have material available to send out. If you are interested in labor law posters, we recommend http://www.laborlawcenter.com as the best source of high-quality posters.
   Otherwise, you will find the answers to most of your questions on Derrick’s post for 9/9/09. The minimum wage in D.C. is $8.25 per hour. In Illinois, it is $8.00 per hour. The Maryland minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and so is the Virginia minimum wage. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia