Archives : 2010 : January
Colorado Lowers Minimum Wage and Updates Labor Law Posters
January 29th, 2010Colorado has the distinction of being the first state to decrease its minimum wage since the federal minimum wage was adopted in 1938. This decrease affects the state labor law poster.
It is one of 10 states that adjusts the minimum wage annually based on inflation. However, Colorado is the only one of these states that allows wage declines.
According to the Colorado Constitution, the Colorado minimum wage is adjusted annually for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado. This index decreased by 0.6 percent from the first half of 2008 to the first half of 2009.
As of Jan. 1, Colorado’s wage fell 4 cents, from $7.28 to $7.24 per hour, but the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour takes precedence since it is higher.
The other states that adjust every January 1 – but whose minimum wage rates remain the same this year since they cannot decrease – include Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. (Nevada has an annual adjustment every July 1.)
The annual adjustment for Colorado, and five of the other 10 states with annual adjustments, went into effect with the passage of a state ballot measure in November 2006.
Colorado’s minimum wage rate has steadily increased since then – until this year: to $6.85 per hour on Jan. 1, 2007; to $7.02 per hour on Jan. 1, 2008 and to $7.28 per hour on Jan. 1, 2009.
Colorado has issued a revised minimum wage poster (Minimum Wage Order Number 26) as well as updating its Unemployment Insurance poster and adding a new Notice of Paydays poster.
If you need to update your Colorado labor law poster or you would like to order a 1-Year Compliance Protection Plan for worry-free compliance, go to the Poster Compliance Center website at www.postercompliance.com or call 1-800-322-3636.
North Carolina Adds Youth Employment Laws and Labor Law Poster Update
January 22nd, 2010Youth employment has been getting lots of attention in North Carolina.
Two bills affecting youth employment were passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2009, and new youth employment information has been added to the North Carolina Labor Law Poster.
House Bill 23, which went into effect Dec. 1, 2009, increases civil penalties for child labor violations. The previous penalty was up to $250 per violation. The new penalty under this law increases the maximum for first violations to $500 and adds penalties for subsequent violations of up to $1000.
The other youth employment law passed in 2009 requires that the North Carolina Department of Labor give a report to the General Assembly on youth employment enforcement activities, due by Feb. 1 each year.
The North Carolina Department of Labor recently expanded the youth employment information in the Wage and Hour section of the North Carolina Workplace Laws Poster. The previous poster simply stated that youths are not permitted to work in hazardous, detrimental or prohibited jobs. The latest version of the employment poster explains that state and federal labor laws protect youth workers and gives several examples of dangerous jobs that are prohibited.
The complete list of nine occupations declared to be detrimental to the health and well being of youths under 18 years of age can be found in the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act.
These include welding; processes using powdered quartz or other silicates; work involving exposure to lead; work involving exposure to benzene; certain occupations in canneries, seafood or poultry processing establishments; work which has a risk of falling 10 feet or more; work as an electrician or helper; certain work in confined spaces; and certain occupations which require the use of a respirator.
If you need to update your North Carolina labor law poster or you would like to order a 1-Year Compliance Protection Plan for worry-free compliance, go to the Poster Compliance Center website at www.postercompliance.com or call 1-800-322-3636.
Alaska Changes Unemployment Law and Updates Labor Law Poster
January 21st, 2010Unemployment insurance benefits not only provide economic assistance to workers but also a stabilizing influence on local economies. In the state of Alaska, unemployment insurance is particularly important since much of the state’s employment is seasonal and because of Alaska’s size and remoteness, according to the Alaska Division of Employment Security.
Unemployment insurance premiums in Alaska are paid by both employers and employees, although employers pay a much higher percentage. The percentage paid by employers has recently been reduced from 80% to 73% and that paid by employees has increased from 20% to 27%.
This change is reflected in a new Alaska unemployment insurance poster issued by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This change does affect the Alaska labor law poster.
Alaska provides or administers several different types of unemployment benefits, including Regular UI, Interstate Claim for Benefits, Extended Benefits, Unemployment Compensation for Federal Civilian Employees, Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Military Personnel and Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
If you need to update your Alaska labor law poster or you would like to order a 1-Year Compliance Protection Plan for worry-free compliance, go to the Poster Compliance Center website at www.postercompliance.com or call 1-800-322-3636.
