labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Most Louisiana employers were affected on July 24, 2009 when the federal minimum wage increased from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour.

There is no Louisiana minimum wage. Louisiana is one of 5 US states that have no minimum wage. The others are Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. In these states, an employer who is not covered by the federal minimum wage law can legally pay just $1.00 per hour – if they can find an employee willing to work for that amount.

The federal minimum wage law is the FLSA or Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938. The FLSA applies to businesses with annual revenue of $500,000 or more. It also applies to individual employees who are engaged in interstate commerce as a portion of their work duties. Examples of interstate commerce would be a retail clerk who accepts credit cards as payment, a secretary who uses the internet or email, or a switchboard operator who answers out-of-state phone calls.

Every Louisiana employer should (more…)

On July 24, 2009 the Pennsylvania minimum wage increased by 10 cents, from $7.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour.

Many employers wonder why all the fuss about such a small amount of money. However, under state law the Pennsylvania minimum wage cannot be less than the federal minimum wage. When the federal rate increases by 70 cents from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour later this month, by statute, the Pennsylvania minimum wage must increase, as well.

The last increase to the Pennsylvania minimum wage was to $7.15 per hour on January 1, 2007.

Each time the federal or Pennsylvania minimum wage increases, employers must display updated labor law posters. 

Both the Pennsylvania minimum wage and the federal minimum wage increased in 2007 from $5.15 to $5.85 and again in 2008 from $5.85 to $6.55.

The Pennsylvania minimum wage for tipped employees remains at $2.83 per hour. However, if the employee does not average $4.42 per hour in tips over the payroll period, the employer must pay the difference.

The new federal minimum wage essentially eliminates the Pennsylvania training wage. Under state law, an employee under the age of 20 could be paid a lower “training wage” equal to the federal minimum wage during the first 60 days of employment. However, under the current law, the federal and state minimum wage are the same and employers must pay the minimum wage from the first day of employment.

Though this increase may create hardship for employers in this struggling economy, 2009 is the last scheduled increase for the federal minimum rate. At this time, no increase is scheduled for 2010.

Pennsylvania state minimum wage covers the smaller employers. The Pennsylvania minimum wage law is enforced by the Bureau of Labor Law Compliance, a part of the Pennsylvania Department  of Labor and Industry. 

The remaining companies are covered by the (more…)

The overwhelming majority of Alabama employers were affected by the federal minimum wage increase in July, 2009.

Although there is no Alabama minimum wage, most employers in the state are covered by the federal minimum wage.

On July 24, 2009 the federal minimum wage increased by 70 cents from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour.

This is not the first increase for Alabama employers. The federal minimum wage increased from $5.15 to $5.85 per hour in 2007 and from $5.85 to $6.55 in 2008.

At present, the federal minimum wage in not scheduled to increase again in 2010. This could be good new for employers which are facing hard times in the current struggling economy.

Alabama is one of five states that have no minimum wage at the state level. Others include Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In addition, effective July 24, 2009 there are 8 states that have a minimum wage lower than the federal rate. They are Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alaska and Delaware.

In just two years, Alaska has gone from having one of the highest state minimum wages to having one of the lowest rates.

Seventeen other states increased the state minimum wage to match the federal minimum wage increase on July 24, 2009. They are: Florida, Missouri, Montana, (more…)

On July 24, 2009 when the federal minimum wage increases, the Montana minimum wage will go up, as well.

The Montana minimum wage will increase from $6.90 to $7.25 per hour. Under state statute, the Montana minimum wage cannot be lower than the federal minimum wage.

When the federal minimum wage changes and/or when a state’s minimum wage changes, employers must display updated labor law posters for all employees. Updated posters are available now at www.laborlawcenter.com.

This is the second minimum wage increase in a year – in the middle of a recession – for beleaguered Montana employers. On January 1, 2009 the state minimum wage increased by 35 cents from $6.55 to $6.90 per hour. Now, less than 8 months later, it is slated to increase again.

Both the January and July Montana minimum wage increases were (more…)

The Wisconsin minimum wage will increase 75 cents, from $6.50 to $7.25 per hour, on July 24, 2009.

Wisconsin employers must prominently display new federal and Wisconsin minimum wage posters or face stiff penalties.

The new Wisconsin minimum wage equals the federal minimum wage, which will increase by 70 cents to $7.25 on that date. By state statute, the Wisconsin minimum wage cannot be lower than the federal minimum wage.

The new Wisconsin minimum wage for minors is the same as for adults — $7.25 per hour. The change in the federal minimum wage effectively eliminates the state’s lower minimum wage for minors, which is $5.90 per hour prior to July 24, 2009.

However, the Wisconsin minimum wage contains a number of exceptions. First, the tipped minimum wage for Wisconsin employees remains at $2.33 per hour. Tipped employees who are not yet 20 years old and have been employed for 90 or fewer days may be paid $2.13 per hour. (more…)