Just before the Memorial Day weekend, President Bush signed the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 (H.R. 2206) to boost the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour in three steps over 26 months. The first increase to $5.85/hour will take effect on July 24, 2007. On July 24, 2008, the rate will increase to $6.55, and then up to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. The rate hike is the first since 1997.
For employers in states that already have a higher minimum wage—such as here in California, where the minimum wage is currently $7.50/hour and set to rise to $8.00 on Jan. 1, 2008—the new federal rate won’t have an impact.
The HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California Wage & Hour Law, explains everything you need to know to stay in compliance with the state’s complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations in this area. Coverage on bonuses, meal and rest breaks, overtime, alternative workweeks, final paychecks, and more.
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