Columbus, Ohio Minimum Wage Attorney

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio’s Minimum Fair Wage Standards law, employers are required to pay their employees at least the federal minimum wage, unless state law requires a higher wage. Ohio has a minimum wage that must be paid all employees. If you are not being paid correctly contact us today for a free consultation.

In the United States, federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. Many states have enacted their own minimum wage laws that require a higher minimum wage to be paid to employees by the hour.

In Ohio, the state minimum wage is $8.70 per hour for non-tipped employees and $4.35 per hour for employees who receive tips as part of their wages. For an employer to pay their employees $4.35 an hour, the employees must make at least $30 a month in tips individually, no matter how many hours they worked that month. However, the employees must also make minimum wage with their base rate of pay and tips combined. If they do not make minimum wage between their base pay and received tips, then the employer must compensate with minimum wage pay at the higher rate.

Unfortunately, it is common for employees, especially those working in the service industry, to be paid lower than minimum wage, even when tips are combined with the base rate of pay. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that employees are earning minimum wage, whether they are tipped or non-tipped.

Additionally, it is up to the employer to keep proper records of employee information and rate of pay for at least three years. This information is subject to investigation by the state Department of Commerce. Employers must correctly record the rate of pay, hours worked, and amount earned each pay period for every employee on their payroll.

Furthermore, some employers may withhold overtime pay that is owed to employees in order to avoid paying more in wages. Employees are entitled to one-and-a-half times their standard rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 in an established workweek. For example, if an employee earns the state minimum wage of $8.70 an hour normally, they would earn $13.05 an hour for every hour worked over 40.