Overtime Laws & Minimum Wages
The law requires employers to pay their employees a minimum wage for all hours worked and to pay them one and a half times their regular wage for all hours worked over 40 each workweek. All employees must make minimum wage. However, the law exempts some categories of employees, including management and other professional occupations, from overtime pay requirements. Government employers may provide their employees with vacation time instead of overtime pay.
The State of Minnesota further requires employers to provide breaks for their employees. Employees must receive one paid rest break for each consecutive four hour shift, and employees working shifts of 8 or more consecutive hours must have sufficient time to eat a meal, although they need not be compensated for this time.
Some examples of violations of wage and overtime laws are:
- Your employer does not pay you, or pays you less than minimum wage, for any portion of the total hours you work, even if your average pay rate for all hours worked is above minimum wage.
- Your paycheck is too low or bounces when you try to cash it.
- You work more than 40 hours per week for your employer, but your hourly wage is the same for all hours.
- Your employer requires you to perform certain tasks before you clock in for your shift or after you clock out, and these tasks regularly take up at least 10 minutes of your time.
- Your salary is reduced based on the quantity or quality of work you do each pay period, or your employer docks your salary when no work is available, even though you are available to work.
- Your employer expects you to perform some of your job duties during your meal breaks or rest breaks.
Nichols Kaster & Anderson, PLLP has litigation experience in many types of cases, including wage and overtime violations. If you think you may become involved in litigation with your employer, feel free to contact us.
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