labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Effective January 1, 2009, the Florida minimum wage will increase 42 cents from $6.79 to $7.21 per hour.

The increase, announced on October 15, 2008 by the state Agency for Workforce Innovation, is based on the cost of living in the Sunshine State.

Many Florida employers will also be affected by the federal minimum wage increase to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009.

The 2009 Florida minimum wage applies to (more…)

The Colorado minimum wage will increase by 26 cents, from $7.02 to $7.28 per hour, effective January 1, 2009. The minimum wage for tipped employees in the state will also increase by 26 cents, from $4.00 to $4.26 per hour.

Under Article XVIII, Section 15 of the Colorado Constitution, as amended in 2006, the Colorado minimum wage is adjusted annual for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Colorado. That law also increased the Colorado minimum wage to $6.85 per hour in 2007, and capped the tax credit employers can take for tipped workers at $3.02 per hour.

The Colorado minimum wage is adjusted for inflation each year (more…)

The Oregon non-compete law prohibits noncompetition agreements between employers and hourly workers, in almost all cases.

However, under this new law, employers are still permitted to have management and sales employees sign non-compete agreements. The agreements limit the employee’s ability to work for a competitor, at least for a period of time.

Such non-compete agreements – even voluntary ones – are illegal when applied to hourly or salaried non-exempt employees under Oregon law.

The law set limits on the (more…)

A recent report suggests that Kansas employers should be particularly vigilant about safety regulations and equipment on Wednesdays. According to the latest state accident report by the Kansas Department of Labor, more workplace injuries requiring time off occur on Wednesday, than on any other day.

The report, focusing on non-fatal accidents, was issued in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is for 2006, the last year for which final statistics are available.

“The Kansas Department of Labor has a wealth of data, but more importantly, we have programs (more…)

Kansas workplace fatalities numbers are just in, and it is not a pretty picture. The most recent figures show a 5%  increase in workplace fatalities, from 81 per year to 85 per year.

Even more shocking, 93% of those killed at work were male according to the Kansas Department of Labor. Of the total 85 fatalities, 79 were male. Only 7% of the workplace fatalities, or 6 individuals killed, were female.

Under Kansas law, employers must display safety posters in the workplace. Federal law requires (more…)