Minimum Wage Increases in 7 States on 1/1/2011

As of this Saturday 7 states will increase the state minimum wage (the Federal level is $7.25 per hour) based on an automatic increase formula. These states and the increases are:

• Arizona- $7.25 going to $7.35
• Colorado- $7.24 going to $7.36, with tipped wages going to $4.34
• Montana- $7.25 going to $7.35
• Ohio- $7.30 going to $7.40, with tipped wages going to $3.70
• Oregon- $8.40 going to $8.50 (Second only to Washington for the highest state minimum wage.)
• Vermont- $8.06 going to $8.15, with tipped wages going to $4.20
• Washington- $8.55 going to $8.67.

Each of these states have some consideration for really small companies or for those employee teenagers. You need to check Minimum Wage Laws in the States at the USDOL for particulars.

All of these states require that this information be posted for employees to see. So if you do not already have the appropriate minimum wage posters displayed you need to go to your particular state's department of labor website and download it.

I hope you have been planning for this and have budgeted appropriately. Regardless of what you feel about the merit (or not) of a minimum wage it is the law and you do have to comply. Not paying correctly could result in a complaint being filed against you, and in today's compliance environment the last thing you want is a department of labor poking their noses into your files. So pay up and do it correctly.