labor lawAdivision of labor law center

On January 1, 2010 the Kansas minimum wage will increase by $4.60 from $2.65 per hour to $7.25 per hour. The increase is one of the largest in recent memory, dwarfing the three 70-cent increases in the federal minimum wage between July 24, 2007 and July 24, 2009.

It is critical that every  employer prominently display a Kansas minimum wage poster, to avoid penalties and fines.

This move puts the Kansas minimum wage on a par with the minimum wages of 28 states including Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

While having a minimum wage that is the same as the federal minimum wage may not seem like an astounding achievement, it represents a major change in philosophy for Kansas politicians.

Despite annual efforts by Kansas Democrats, the state minimum wage has been frozen at $2.65 per hour for more than a decade. Prior to New Year’s Day, Kansas (more…)

Every Kansas employer needs to update his or her federal minimum wage poster. On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage increased from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour, an increase of 70 cents.

The Kansas minimum wage is $2.65 per hour. Kansas currently has the lowest minimum wage of any state, although there are 5 states that do not have a minimum wage at all. They are Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and South Carolina.

This change affects most employers in Kansas.

The federal minimum wage is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. FLSA covers employers with annual earnings of at least $500,000, and companies who engage in interstate commerce.

With advanced technology of the Internet, communicating via emails, and accepting credit cards for payment, the majority of Kansas businesses are engaged in interstate commerce. Even if the company doesn’t engage in interstate commerce, an individual employee within the company may, and would be covered by FLSA.

For example, a buyer for a retail store (more…)