labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that millions of work-related injuries are investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) each year.  Records of injuries and deaths that happen in the workplace are maintained by the OSHA on an annual basis.  Workplace safety in each state has to be regulated, and OSHA is in charge of worker safety and health in the state of Ohio.  Injuries and deaths that happen on job sites are more common than you might think.

According to Ohio worker safety statistics, 503,530 people endured tears, strains or sprains as a result of workplace accidents.  In addition to those injuries, 270,890 people hurt their back in a job-related accident.  People slip, trip and fall all the time.  Most people don’t consider falling or tripping a life threatening experience, but the figures for 2005 (the most current statistics we have) show that 732 people died because of a fall that happened on the job.  The complete figure for job-related falls is 255,750.  Work related driving accidents claimed the most lives, with a tragic 1,258 casualties.

On source for reader friendly health and safety information is the OSHA Workplace Safety Pack.  It has three posters (Workstation Safety Tips, Lifting Safety, and Slips, Trips, and Falls) and information on ergonomics.  It is a great idea for all employers to have the safety pack at their business.  Every employee should be trained and informed about safety techniques, proper procedures, and the importance of safety and not cutting corners.

I am sure that most employers and employees don’t plan to fall and hurt themselves, but these things happen all too often.  It is very easy to get comfortable at a job that you have done for several years, but no one should get comfortable with taking shortcuts and compromising safety and health in the workplace. 

Labor laws in the State are important to everyone. Both federal and state regulations exist to protect the interests of both employers and employees. Even those who may not be actively working are covered under these laws. Most states have an agency that oversees and enforces the laws of the state. In Ohio, the Department of Commerce is the agency that deals with the regulation and enforcement of the states labor laws. They also offer information to the public and seek to educate the workforce on these laws so that everyone is in compliance and understands their rights and responsibilities.

The first thing you need to know about Ohio (OH) labor and employment laws is whom they apply to. An employer is defined as any entity, business association, person or group of persons acting in the interest of an employee where the gross revenue is more than 150,000 annually. Employers must pay their workers at least the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. Those who work for tips such as waiters and waitresses may be paid a rate of $2.13 per hour, but when combined with their tips they must make at least the minimum wage for all hours worked. Employees must be paid at least twice monthly, no later than the 15^th and 30^th of the month. There is no law that requires employers to offer breaks, or paid time off. Most employers do offer these benefits as an incentive and to keep employee moral up.

Under Ohio (OH) labor and employment laws employers are subject to inspection by agents of the state to make sure that they are in compliance with the law. As an employer you have a responsibility to maintain a workplace that is free of discrimination, meets safety and health standards and that employees are aware of the policies in force.

There are many Ohio (OH) labor laws. I found them today while searching on the web. I thought I would share some of them with you here in this blog entry. Many of the OH labor laws have to be posted in businesses throughout Ohio. These publications are called the Ohio Labor Law Posters. Employers often hang these posters in the employee break room or on the walls surrounding a time clock, as they are conspicuous areas that employees have easy access to.

The first of the OH labor laws I found deals with Unemployment Compensation Benefits. This law allows those who are unemployed, or those who are working less than a full work week, to apply for these benefits.

Another of the OH labor laws deals with minimum wage. At the current time, Ohio’s minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. This minimum wage covers most employees in the state. Tipped employees can be paid less and their current rate of pay is $2.13. Whenever the employee works over 40 hours, which is considered full-time, the pay rate of one and one half times will be used for all hours over 40. As with most states, there are exceptions to the overtime pay law.

Some of the most detailed OH labor laws are those dealing with minors in the work place. There are several jobs that are prohibited to minors due to the OH labor laws. This is because they are considered to be hazardous to the minor’s health. Other aspects of a minor in the work place that are covered by OH labor laws are which hours they can work, how many hours they can work, and the maximum number of hours they can work in any given week.

These are far from all the OH labor laws. A simple search online will give you information on several more. When you want detailed information as the employees of the state of Ohio do, check out the Ohio Labor Law Posters. In the event you want both federal and state labor laws in one place, you can find a copy of the Ohio Complete Labor Law Poster.

Recently, I’ve been researching the labor laws of various states. I’ve found that the Ohio labor laws cover quite a variety of topics including child labor regulations, wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination provisions, prevailing wages for public works project employees, safety regulations, unemployment compensation, and workers’ compensation.

Child labor laws are one important part of the Ohio labor laws. In the state of Ohio, a work permit must be issued to any minor under 18 before they may work at a job. This requirement is waived during the summer months for 16 and 17 year olds, but proof of age and a signed “permission to work” statement from the minor’s parents must still be on file. All minors must be given a break of 30 minutes when they have worked five hours or more consecutively. The Ohio Labor Law also regulates the work hours and permitted occupations for minors of various ages,

Like many states, Ohio’s labor laws provide for workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation programs. Workers’ compensation is designed to help pay the medical bills as well as some lost wages for workers who are injured on the job. Unemployment compensation is designed to give financial assistance to workers who involuntarily lose their jobs.

Another interesting labor law in Ohio is the Prevailing Wage law. This law mandates that employees on public works construction projects be paid a minimum hourly rate set by the state government. This helps ensure greater fairness in the process of various contractors bidding on state projects.

Finally, the subject of wage payment is a topic of interest to many people. Ohio has a state minimum wage equal to that of the federal minimum wage, which is currently $5.15 per hour. Employees who receive gratuities may be paid as little as $2.13 per hour, but their total hourly wages combined with tips must still be equal to or greater than the minimum wage. Under Ohio labor law, wages in the state must generally be paid at least twice per month. However, if a written agreement to do otherwise exists between an employer and employees, this provision may be waived.

The Ohio Complete Labor Law Poster contains a helpful listing of all the applicable federal and state laws on this topic.

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.