labor lawAdivision of labor law center

If you live or work in the state of Oklahoma, you might be interested to learn more about some of the labor laws on the books in the state. Here’s a brief summary of some of the applicable laws on this topic.

Employees in the state of Oklahoma are protected from several types of employment discrimination. As under federal law, employers may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap. Oklahoma labor laws also prohibit discrimination based on genetic testing results. Finally, employers must not discriminate against workers who smoke during off hours or prohibit them from doing so, unless it is mandated by a union contract.

Laws regarding the payment of wages are often of interest to employees and employers alike. The minimum wage in Oklahoma is equal to that of the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. Tipped employees may be paid $2.13 per hour, as long as their total wages per hour including tips is at least the minimum wage. Oklahoma labor laws require wages to be paid to non-exempt employees at least twice per month, while exempt employees may be paid as infrequently as monthly. Any employee who quits or is fired must be paid by the next regular payday.

Child labor laws are another important section of the Oklahoma Labor Laws. The child labor laws in Oklahoma only apply to 14 and 15 year old minors – employers of 16 and 17 year olds need only follow the federal rules. Minors under 16 must get a work permit in order to hold a job. The law also sets strict limits on the hours minors of this age may work, and the types of jobs they may be employed in.

These are just a few examples of the topics covered by Oklahoma labor laws. Other laws cover workplace safety for public employees, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, and various types of licensing. For an up-to-date listing of all the applicable state and federal labor laws, please see the Oklahoma Complete Labor Law Poster.

The Oklahoma Labor Board is responsible for every aspect of the workers and employers are the state of Oklahoma. They are responsible for everything from setting the minimum wage standard to helping and handling all unemployment issues for us. Brenda Reneau is our labor commissioner and she is working to the best of her ability to make every aspect of the work environment better for all of us. She helps in the overseeing of everything to creation of possible new labor laws to the enforcement of the current ones. She also does all she can in an effort to maintain and lower our unemployment rate.

In Oklahoma our current unemployment rate is at 3.9% which is down from May’s 4.1%. Both of these numbers are well below the national unemployment level of 4.8% which is only speaking volumes about the Oklahoma Labor Board. Even for those that are unemployed the board is still trying to help you by working to get you back into the workforce and providing assistance until you do so. There are various programs and things that are available to help those that are out of work in Oklahoma.

In Oklahoma a huge concern and focal point of the commissioner is workplace safety. She is not only concerned about our safety, but the safety of those that are around us as well. She has instituted programs that are designed to promote a safe workplace as well as overseeing the OSHA division in the state of Oklahoma. However safety concerns do not only rest with the traditional money earners in the household. There are also many concerns for the minors who are in the workforce as well. There are many laws and regulations that pertain to the well being and safety of our minor workers in our state. And the board is there to help enforce these as well.