labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The North Carolina minimum wage will increase on July 24, 2009. Many states in the country, including Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Indiana, increase their minimum wage to coincide with the federal minimum wage. North Carolina is one of these states.

On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase by 70 cents from $6.55 to $7.25.

In 2007, the North Carolina minimum wage was $6.15 per hour. State law, however, requires that if the federal minimum wage is higher, the state must raise its minimum to match the federal rate. So, on July 24, 2008, when the federal minimum rose from $5.85 to $6.55, North Carolina increased its minimum by 40 cents per hour to match the federal rate.

That means the North Carolina minimum wage will also increase on that date, rising by 70 cents per hour from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour.

Under North Carolina state law, employers must pay the majority of employees overtime (1.5 times the usual hourly rate) for any time worked in excess of 40 hours (more…)

Employers have already been warned that the state minimum wage will increase with the new year in Oregon, Washington, Florida, New Mexico, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Connecticut.

However, employers in other states also have to contend with minimum wage increases this year.

Even if an employer has no minimum wage employees, each increase means the employer must update his or her minimum wage posters. By law, employers are required to display a variety of labor law posters prominently in the workplace. Failure to do so can result in fines, penalties and citations.

On July 1, 2009 the Illinois minimum wage will increase by 50 cents, from $7.50 to $8.00 per hour. This is the final step in a 3-tiered increase introduced by the now-infamous (more…)

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit on September 25, 2008 against Houston-based CEMEX Inc. for overtime violations. The suit maintains that the company failed to pay $5 million in overtime to more than 2,000 drivers from eight states. The employees were drivers of ready-mix concrete trucks.

CEMEX, founded in Mexico in 1906, provides cement and other building supplies for the construction industry. The company’s website claims it employers more than 60,000 employees in 50 countries on 5 continents.

Affected employees of CEMEX worked in Texas, (more…)

The minimum wage for tipped employees in North Carolina has been reduced to $2.13  per hour, for now, despite the increase in the state and federal minimum wage on July 24, 2008.

On July 24, both the federal and North Carolina minimum wages increased to $6.55 per hour. However, employees who earn at least $30 per month in tips can be paid less.

Until recently, the minimum wage for tipped workers in North Carolina was (more…)

On July 24, 2008, when the federal minimum wage rose from $5.85 per hour to $6.55 per hour, North Carolina ‘s minimum wage increased by 40 cents from $6.15 per hour to match the federal minimum of $6.55. That’s because under state law, when the federal minimum wage is higher, the North Carolina rate increases to match it.

On July 24, 2009, the North Carolina minimum wage will rise again (more…)