labor lawAdivision of labor law center

By law, the District of Columbia minimum wage must be at least $1.00 more than the federal minimum wage. On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour.

When the federal minimum increases, the minimum in several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, North Dakota and Virginia will increase, too. These states tie their minimum wage laws to the federal minimum wage. The District of Columbia will see an increase in its minimum wage, too. While Texas, Utah, etc. match the federal minimum.

That means that in July 2009, the D.C. minimum wage will jump to $8.25 per hour.

Business owners in Washington, D. C. are not happy with this increase. They feel it puts them at a disadvantage with competitors in neighboring Virginia and Maryland. Both of these states adjust their minimum wage to the level of the federal minimum, so will pay $7.25 per hour as compared to $8.25 per hour in D. C.

Despite these objections, Mayor Anthony A. Williams signed (more…)

Employers throughout the U.S. are carefully watching what is happening these days in the District of Columbia.

D.C. has approved a controversial new act known as the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008, which essentially requires employers to provide paid sick leave to their workers. The act may be the harbinger of paid sick leave elsewhere, and has become an important topic among HR professionals.

Employees who would be eligible are those who, first of all, spend at least 50% of their work time in the District of Columbia. They must also have accumulated a year of continuous service and at least 1,000 hours of work in the previous 12 months, under the proposed act.

The new law is quite broad. Employers would be required to give paid sick leave to any of these eligible employees for any absences connected with (more…)

The controversial Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 went into effect late in 2008 in the District of Columbia.

Human Resources professionals are watching closely because this new act requires employers to provide mandatory paid sick leave.

Such paid sick leave may become the next hot labor topic. Employers may comment on the new regulation. After that, the D.C. Department of Employment Services or DOES will release the regulations and their accompanying (and long-awaited) FAQ guidelines.

The new act actually went into effect November 13, 2008. The DOES, however, just recently issued regulations for employers to follow.

The new law mandates that all eligible employees working in the D.C. area must be given paid sick leave for any absences that are connected to either mental or (more…)

The District of Columbia recently released rules that will end employer’s confusion regarding the controversial Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008.

That law requires all employers to provide paid sick leave to eligible employees working in the District of Columbia for any absences related to physical or mental illness. The law also requires employers to give workers paid time off for preventative medical care or family care.

One of the more unusual aspects of the law is that it requires employers to give “safe” leave to employees who are associated with stalking, domestic violence or sexual abuse.

The Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 went into effect on November 13, 2008. However, the D.C. Department of Employment Services or DOES just recently issued regulations for employers to follow.

Employers can comment on the “proposed” rules. Once the (more…)

On July 24, 2008, the federal minimum wage increased from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. On that same date, the minimum wage in Washington, D. C. rose 55 cents from $7.00 to $7.55 per hour.

Although the District of Columbia is technically not a state, like many states, including Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Virginia, the District of Columbia’s minimum wage is tied to the federal minimum wage. Unlike those states, however, the minimum wage law in D. C doesn’t merely equal the federal minimum wage, but exceeds it by $1 per hour.

Many Washington, D. C. businesses (more…)