Tag: Minimum Wage

New Connecticut law makes wage infractions more dangerous

by John Herrington A new Connecticut law taking effect October 1 requires courts to award double damages plus court costs and attorneys’ fees for most employee wage claims. Under the new law—Public Act 15-86, the “Act Concerning an Employer’s Failure to Pay Wages”—a court must award, as a baseline default, double damages plus court costs […]

New York fast-food employers bracing for $15 minimum wage

by Tammy Binford New York fast-food workers may be celebrating the likelihood of a $15-an-hour minimum wage phased in over the next few years, but others are questioning the justification offered for the raise. A three-member wage board appointed by New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recommended the new minimum wage for fast-food workers July […]

McDonald’s joins Wal-Mart in boosting wages

The wage and benefit increases McDonald’s announced on April 1 put the fast-food giant on the same path retailer Wal-Mart took in February when it announced an increase in its starting wage. McDonald’s announced that beginning July 1, it will raise starting pay at company-owned restaurants to $1 over the locally mandated minimum wage. Full- […]

Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance takes effect April 1

by Valerie Hughes and Aurora Janke Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance goes into effect April 1, meaning employers—regardless of size—must pay employees working in the city at least $11 per hour. Employers with 501 or more employees must pay a “minimum wage” of $11 per hour, while employers with 500 or fewer employees must pay […]

New York tipped minimum cash wage to rise to $7.50 an hour

by Charles H. Kaplan Tipped workers in New York will see the minimum cash wage rise to $7.50 an hour on December 31, 2015, following a February 24 order by New York State Acting Commissioner of Labor Mario Musolino. The order will reduce the tip credit to a $1.50 deduction from New York’s minimum wage […]

Nebraska minimum wage increases to $8 per hour on January 1

by Mark M. Schorr Because of the passage of the Nebraska minimum wage petition initiative in the November general election, the state’s minimum wage will increase to $8 per hour on January 1, 2015. Nebraska employers that employ individuals at or near the minimum wage should take steps to ensure compliance with the new requirement. Also, […]

$10.10 minimum wage for contractors set for January 1

President Barack Obama’s Executive Order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors and subcontractors is set to take effect for all federal contracts beginning on or after January 1. Obama signed Executive Order 13658 on February 12. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the final rule implementing the order on October 1. The DOL […]

Voters in four states to decide on minimum wage hikes

Voters in four states—Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota—will decide on minimum wage increases when they go to the polls on November 4, and Illinois voters will make their opinion on the issue known in a nonbinding vote. Information on state ballot measures from Ballotpedia indicates: Voters will decide whether to increase Alaska’s minimum wage from […]