New York 2015 Minimum Wage Increase
New York State’s minimum wage increases to $8.75 per hour effective December 31, 2014.
The New York minimum wage for 2015 is the second step toward a $9.00 minimum wage for 2016. The $8.75 minimum wage rate for 2015 is a 75-cent increase over the 2014 rate of $8.00. The New York State legislature recently voted down a Bill that pushed a $10.10 minimum wage.
New York Tipped Minimum Wage Workers
The basic minimum wage for New York tipped employees remains unchanged at least through 2016. Each tipped worker category has a different base wage and tip credit amount effective December 31, 2015:
| New York Tipped Worker Category | Base Wage | Tip Credit |
| Food Service Workers | $5.00 | $3.75 |
| Service Employees | $5.65 | $3.10 |
| Resort Hotel Service Employees | $4.90 | $3.85 |
The value of tips allowed to be credited toward meeting the increased minimum wage also increases to accommodate the difference. In other words, employers won’t have to pay tipped minimum wage workers more as long as the workers earn more than the difference between the base tipped minimum wage and the basic minimum wage.
New York Minimum Wage Poster
Although the New York Department of Labor announced the rate increase, the new posting required for New York workplaces will not be released until the first effective day (December 31, 2014). Once the new minimum wage posting is released, GovDocs will offer it as part of our New York Poster Compliance Package along with other workplace postings required for New York employers:
- Minimum Wage Information
- Discrimination
- Laws Governing the Employment of Minors (Child Labor)
- Time Allowed To Vote
- Fringe Benefits
- Deduction from Wages
- Tip Appropriation
- No Smoking
- New York Correction Law Article 23-A
Order the New York Poster Compliance Package and save 20%. Use coupon code 2015MIN.
New York Wage Orders
Certain New York employers must adhere to industry-specific deviations from the State’s standard minimum wage and hours worked, including those businesses categorized as:
Arkansas 2015 Minimum Wage Increase
Arkansas increased its 2015 minimum wage rate to $7.50 per hour effective January 1, 2015. The 20 percent increase finally pushes the Arkansas’ State minimum wage rate to a level higher than the Federal minimum wage.
[wc_divider style=”dotted” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]The current Arkansas minimum wage was established in 2006 and applies to employers with four or more employees, with certain exceptions:
- Executive, administrative, or professional employees
- Outside commission-paid salesmen
- Independent contractors
- Employees of the United States
- Certain students and farm laborers
Arkansas Planned Minimum Wage Increases
Arkansas minimum wage workers will see additional increases in 2016 and 2017.
- 2014: $6.25
- 2015: $7.50
- 2016: $8.00
- 2017: $8.50
Arkansas Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
Tipped workers will not see an increase in their base minimum wage of $2.63, because Arkansas is increasing the allowance for gratuities each year. For math lovers, the equation looks something like this:
(Minimum Wage Rate) – (Gratuity Allowance) = Base Minimum Wage
Arkansas Schedule of Gratuity Allowances
- 2014: $3.62 per hour
- 2015: $4.87 per hour
- 2016: $5.37 per hour
- 2017: $5.87 per hour
Arkansas Minimum Wage Poster
The Arkansas Minimum Wage poster is required for Arkansas employers with four or more employees and must be displayed in a conspicuous location. The minimum wage posting, along with other postings required for display in Arkansas workplaces, is available as part of the GovDocs Arkansas Poster Compliance Package. Order now and save 20% with coupon code 2015MIN.
The Arkansas Poster Compliance Package includes:
- How to Claim Unemployment Insurance
- Workers’ Compensation Notice
- Notice to Employer/Employee – General (MINIMUM WAGE)
- Right to Know
- No Smoking Poster
2015 Missouri Minimum Wage Increase Announced
The Missouri Department of Labor increased the 2015 Missouri minimum wage to $7.65 per hour. The new rate, which is a two percent increase over the 2014 rate, goes into effect January 1, 2015 for Missouri minimum-wage workers.
[wc_divider style=”dotted” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Missouri is among the 10 states in the U.S. whose minimum wage rate is tied to rates of inflation. Using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Therefore, each year, the state minimum wage rate can be automatically adjusted up or down based on the latest CPI numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Missouri Tipped Employees
Compensation for tipped employees must total at least $7.65 per hour, and employers of tipped workers are required to pay tipped employees at least 50 percent of the minimum wage, which is equal to $3.825 per hour.
Employers engaged in retail or service businesses whose annual gross income is less than $500,000 are not required to pay the state minimum wage rate. Employers not subject to the minimum wage law can pay employees wages of their choosing.
Missouri Home Care Workers
Missouri home care attendants belonging to the Missouri Consumer-Directed Services Program may soon see big pay increases if a new contract is approved. Under the agreement, consumers in the consumer-directed services program would have the right to choose what their attendant earns in a range from $8.50 an hour to $10.15 an hour. The agreement must now be ratified by the Missouri Quality Home Care Council and by the members of the Missouri Home Care Union.
Missouri Required Workplace Postings
The revised Missouri Minimum Wage posting is part of the GovDocs Missouri Posting Compliance Package, along with other postings required for Missouri workplaces.
- Workers’ Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Discrimination in Employment
- Discrimination in Public Accommodation
- Youth Employment List
- Minimum Wage
Delaware Protects Pregnant and Transgender Workers
The Delaware Department of Labor revised the Delaware Labor Law Poster required for all employers to reflect the inclusions of pregnant and transgender employees as workers who are protected from employment discrimination.
[wc_divider style=”dotted” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]What Changed on the Delaware Labor Law Poster?
The revised posting includes Gender Identity as a class protected from discrimination in hiring and employment, and it adds a section informing employers that pregnant workers must receive reasonable accommodation in the workplace.
Delaware Gender Identity
Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law the Gender Identity Nondiscrimination Act (SB 97) in 2013. The Act added gender identity to Delaware’s existing law (Title 19) prohibiting discrimination in the workplace and in housing. The original legislation in 1999 had been rewritten without gender identity included. Employers may not treat transgender workers any differently than other workers in hiring, firing, promotion, or pay.
According to the Delaware statute, Gender identity means “a gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.”
Employers may still require all workers “…to adhere to reasonable workplace appearance, grooming and dress standards not precluded by other provisions of state or federal law, except that an employer shall allow an employee to appear, groom and dress consistent with the employee’s gender identity.” [§ 711 (m)]
Delaware Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnant workers or those who have given birth or suffer from pregnancy-related medical conditions are protected from workplace discrimination under the Delaware Discrimination in Employment Act (DDEA). The Act covers employers with 4 or more employees, including state and local governments. Women who are pregnant or affected by related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.
If a pregnant worker is unable to perform her typical job duties because of pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical condition, then the employer must provide reasonable accommodation [see § 710 (17)], such as light-duty assignments, or allow the worker to take disability leave or time off without pay.
After giving birth, the worker must be allowed to return to her former job with no adverse effects to pay or promotion.
In addition to displaying the Delaware Labor Law Poster, Delaware employers must notify [§ 716 (b)(1)]:
- New employees in writing about Delaware’s pregnant worker protections.
- All other employees verbally or in writing by January 7, 2015.
- Pregnant workers verbally or in writing within 10 days after they alert the employer about pregnancy.
Delaware Labor Law Poster
The Delaware Labor Law Poster is available as part of the Delaware Poster Compliance Package from GovDocs. Order now and save 20% with coupon code BLOG20.
[wc_divider style=”solid” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]
New Jersey 2015 Minimum Wage Increase
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced a 2015 minimum wage increase to $8.38 per hour effective January 1, 2015.
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]The New Jersey Minimum Wage Advisory Commission reviews the rate annually to determine if the amount is adequate for employees to meet the changes in cost of living. The State stops short, however, of “indexing” the rate automatically to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as ten other U.S. state do, such as Arizona. Governor Chris Christie has not supported any automatic adjustments to the New Jersey minimum wage rate, vetoing efforts to index the New Jersey minimum wage.
Governor Christie explains that he is tired of talking about minimum wage, because he wants to focus on creating higher-wage jobs.
New Jersey Tipped Workers
The New Jersey minimum wage rate includes a “tipping allowance”, meaning that food servers and other occupations that typically earn tips as a normal part of their duties must earn at least the Federal minimum wage rate for tipped workers, which is $2.13 per hour. However, if a tipped employee earns less than the New Jersey State minimum wage, employers must make up any difference in the base wage and tips so that the tipped worker earns at least the New Jersey minimum wage rate.
The New Jersey legislature is considering a Bill (A857) that would raise the State’s base wage rate for tipped workers to $5.70 per hour by the end of 2015.
New Jersey 2015 Minimum Wage Poster
New Jersey employers must display the New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law Abstract in a conspicuous location. The posting and other postings are included in the GovDocs New Jersey Poster Compliance Package. Employers can save 20% on all labor law poster purchases using GovDocs coupon code 2015MIN.
The New Jersey Compliance Poster Package includes:
- Unemployment and Disability Insurance
- State Wage and Hour Abstract
- Schedule of Hours for Minors
- Child Labor Law Abstract
- Discrimination in Employment
- Payment of Wages
- Notice (Workers’ Compensation)
- Family Leave Act
- Conscientious Employee Protection Act (Whistleblower)
- Smoking Prohibited
- Family Leave Insurance
- Employer Obligation to Maintain and Report Records
- SAFE Act
- Gender Inequity
- Gender Inequity (Spanish)
Arizona 2015 Minimum Wage Increase
The Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) announced an increase of Arizona’s minimum wage to $8.05 per hour effective January 1, 2015. The $0.15 raise is a 1.9 percent increase over the 2014 rate of $7.90 per hour affecting more than 24,000 Arizona minimum wage workers.
The ICA administers and enforces the State’s minimum wage
Arizona Tipped Workers Minimum Wage
Employees who are tipped earn a base rate of $5.05 per hour thanks to a $3 tip credit.
Tipped workers include people who customarily receives tips, typically in the restaurant, hospitality, and personal services industries:
- Food servers
- Bussers
- Bartenders
- Bellhops / Valets
- Car wash attendants
- Hairdressers / Barbers
Arizona Annual Minimum Wage Calculation
Arizona’s minimum wage can be adjusted annually based on increases in the cost of living based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Any adjustments to the Arizona minimum wage are rounded to the nearest nickel (five-cent increments).
Arizona is one of 10 states in the U.S. that indexes the minimum wage to adjust to the cost of living:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Washington
History of Arizona Minimum Wage
The State enacted the Arizona Minimum Wage Act (Proposition 202) in 2006 after a successful ballot measure. The table below shows Arizona’s minimum wage rates since 2006 and the percentage of increase for each year, if any.
| Year | Minimum Wage | % Change |
| 2006 | $5.15* | NA |
| 2007 | $6.75 | 31.068% |
| 2008 | $6.90 | 2.222% |
| 2009 | $7.25 | 5.072% |
| 2010 | $7.25 | 0.000% |
| 2011 | $7.35 | 1.379% |
| 2012 | $7.65 | 4.082% |
| 2013 | $7.80 | 1.961% |
| 2014 | $7.90 | 1.282% |
| 2015 | $8.05 | 1.899% |
*Pre-indexed rate.
Arizona Minimum Wage Poster
Arizona employers are required to display the most current Arizona Minimum Wage Poster, which is included as part of GovDocs’ Arizona Workplace Poster Packages, along with other required postings:
- Unemployment Compensation
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance (Memo)
- Employee Safety & Health Protection
- Prohibition of Discrimination
- Work Exposure to Bodily Fluids
- Constructive Discharge
- Minimum Wage
- No Smoking Poster
- E-Verify
- Right to Work
- Work Exposure to MRSA, Spinal Meningitis, or TB
Arizona employers can save 20% off all workplace poster purchases using GovDocs coupon code 2015MIN.