Minimum wage

The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Many states also have minimum wage laws. Where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.

If your employer did not pay you your weekly or monthly wage for some period, this is also minimum wage violation because your employer did not pay you at all during the period.

** New York State Minimum Wage Laws

The Minimum Wage Act (Article 19 of the New York State Labor Law) requires that all employees in New York State receive at least the applicable hourly Minimum Wage rate. This includes domestic workers and employees in the Nail Salon Industry.

Regulations known as ‘Wage Orders’ set certain requirements that are industry-specific. The rates contained in these Wage Orders may differ from the general Minimum Wage rate. For details, please see the wage order summaries below.

Workers in New York City are protected by both federal and state laws mandating that people be fairly compensated. Under these laws, people are guaranteed at least a minimum wage for work they do and, in certain cases, for one and a half times their hourly wage for work performed in excess of 40 hours during a week. In 2017, the minimum wage is $11.00 for New York City employers with 11 or more employees, and is $10.50 for New York City employers with 10 or less employees.  For employers in Long Island and Westchester the minimum wage is $10.00, while everywhere it is $9.70.

 

12/31/17              12/31/18              12/31/19              12/31/20              12/31/21

Federal Minimum Wage $7.25

NYC Large employers(11 and more)                         $13.00   $15.00

NYC Small employers (10 and less)                           $12.00   $13.50   $15.00

Long Island and Westchester County                       $11.00   $12.00   $13.00   $14.00   $15.00

Remainder of NY                              $10.40   $11.10   $11.80   $12.50

 

** New Jersey State Minimum Wage Laws

Every employee shall, effective January 1, 2017, be paid not less than $8.44 per hour, the minimum hourly wage rate set by section 6(a)(1) of the Federal ‘Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938’ (29 U.S.C. §206(a)(1)), or the rate provided under N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a4, whichever is greatest.

 

** Illinois State Minimum Wage Laws

Guarantees a minimum wage of $8.25 per hour for workers 18 years of age and older; workers under 18 may be paid $.50 per hour less than the adult minimum wage. Credit for tips may not exceed 40% of the applicable minimum wage. Employers may apply for licenses to pay sub-minimum rates to learners and certain workers with physical and mental limitations. Overtime must be paid after 40 hour of work per week at time and one-half the regular rate.

 

• New employees (first 90 days of employment) and employees under age 18 may be paid up to 50 cents less per hour.
• Tipped employees may be paid 60% of the hourly minimum wage.

•             Certain employees must be paid overtime, at time and one-half of the regular rate, after 40 hours of work in a workweek.