labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The Florida minimum wage will increase by 3 cents on July 24, 2009.

Many employers wonder what sparks such a change, since it is an administrative hassle for employers and provides few benefits for workers. The answer is simple. Under the Florida minimum wage statute, the state minimum wage cannot be lower than the federal minimum wage.

Currently, the Florida minimum wage is $7.21 per hour. On July 24, 2009 the federal minimum wage increases to $7.25 per hour. Under a little-known provision of the Florida minimum wage statute, the state rate will increase at the same time –  even though the difference is only 3 cents.

Of course, this change has a number of ramifications for Florida employers. For one thing, they must update their state and federal minimum wage posters. By law, employers must prominently display accurate, up-to-date minimum wage posters in the workplace.

The Florida minimum wage is not the only one changing this month. On July 1, 2009, Illinois and two other states increased their minimum wage. Several other states will increase their minimum wage rates in July. Thirteen states, including South Dakota, Virginia, Utah, (more…)

The Alaska minimum wage remains at $7.15 per hour, while the new federal minimum wage will be $7.25 per hour. This means that for the first time since the Alaska minimum wage was passed, the state rate is lower than the federal one.

On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase by 70 cents from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour. On that day, thirteen states will increase their minimum wage rate, too. These states, including Oklahoma, Texas, simply adopt the federal minimum as their own, so when the federal rate changes their minimum wage rates change, too.

As a result of these change all employers will be required to update their labor law posters. Businesses can obtain updated posters from www.laborlawcenter.com.

The higher federal minimum wage will affect some but not all employers in Alaska. When an employee is covered by both federal and state law, the employee is entitled to protection under whichever law confers the greatest benefit.

Employers with more than $500,000 in revenue or those who engage in interstate commerce are covered by the federal minimum wage law. Effective July 24, 2009 those Alaska employers must begin paying the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

An Alaska employer engages in interstate commerce (more…)

Illinois, Nevada and Kentucky implemented minimum wage increases effective today, July 1, 2009.

The Kentucky minimum wage increases today from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. This change is just 23 days earlier than an identical change in the federal minimum wage.

The Illinois minimum wage increases from $7.75 to $8.00 today. This increase puts the Illinois minimum wage in a four-way tie for the fourth highest minimum wage in the nation.

The Nevada minimum wage increases today from $6.85 per hour to $7.55 per hour, although a number of Nevada employers are exempted.

The highest minimum wage is currently in the state of Washington, with a minimum wage of $8.55 per hour. The Oregon minimum wage is $8.40 per hour, while the minimum wage in Vermont is $8.06 per hour. The minimum wage in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts is at $8.00 per hour – the same as the Illinois minimum wage, effective today.

The minimum wages in Washington, Oregon and Vermont are adjusted for inflation annually on January 1. The minimum wage in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts are not adjusted annually for inflation – they are changed only by statute.

The next Illinois minimum wage change (more…)

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…)

The federal minimum wage will increase by 70 cents on July 24, 2009 from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. The increase is the third increase mandated by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007.

Under Texas law, the state minimum wage must be at least as high as the federal minimum, which means that when the federal minimum wage increases, the Texas minimum increases, too.

Therefore, on July 24, 2009, when the federal minimum increases to $7.25 per hour, the Texas state minimum will also increase to $7.25 per hour. Texas is one of 12 states, including Maryland, Idaho, North Dakota and Virginia, which ties its minimum to the federal minimum wage.

The US Department of Labor reports that the Texas minimum wage statute doesn’t even state a dollar amount, simply that the state adopts the federal rate.

Under Texas minimum wage law, any employee covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is excluded from Texas minimum wage. The FLSA is the main federal minimum wage law and covers employers that engage in interstate commerce and those with annual earnings of $500,000 or more.

An article in Texas Business Today (more…)