Labor Laws in Oklahoma:- Labor laws establish guidelines for pay and hour policies, workplace safety, and other employment-related issues. All states are subject to federal laws safeguarding workers' rights, but several also provide further protections for employees. In addition, Oklahoma law creates legal holidays for public servants, a minimum wage, pay day requirements, whistleblower rights, and other employment-related provisions.
Oklahoma Wage laws
The FLSA, which governs Oklahoma, sets minimum wages that apply to workers in all industries.
What is Oklahoma’s minimum payment?
To begin, let us discuss Oklahoma’s minimum wage. It is the minimum amount that companies are legally obligated to pay their workers, to put it simply. At present, Oklahoma’s minimum hourly wage is at $7.25, matching the federal minimum wage. It’s crucial to remember that, according to Oklahoma law, businesses that employ 10 or more people full-time or generate over $100,000 in annual revenue are required to pay their staff the standard minimum wage.
Oklahoma’s minimum wage exceptions
Not every worker is entitled to the $7.25 minimum wage per hour. Employees are divided into two categories in accordance with that:
Workers who have salaried positions (such as executive or professional positions) who are not entitled to overtime or minimum wage are considered exempt employees.
Workers paid hourly who are required to get overtime compensation in addition to the minimum wage are considered nonexempt employees.
Employees who are exempt from minimum pay under the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA), including the above-mentioned requirement for minimum wages, include:
- Workers in executive, professional, and administrative roles making at least $684 each week
- Workers in computers who make at least $684 a week or $27.63 an hour
- Highly paying workers making at least $107,432 annually
- farm labourers
- Workers in the fishing industry
- Workers who are seasonal and leisure
Oklahoma’s tipped minimum wage
Even though Oklahoma does not have a legal definition of “tipped employee,” workers who handle customer tips—waiters, servers, housekeepers, etc.—are entitled to the federal $2.13 minimum wage.
On the other hand, if an employee earns tips and their wages total at least the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, the company may pay the employee $2.13 per hour.
An employer must make up the difference if a tipped employee’s tip income exceeds the statutory minimum wage.
Subminimum pay in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, unless training is contracted with a third party and conducted off-site, trainees must be paid at least the current minimum wage ($7.25) for all hours of instruction.
On the other hand, salaries below the present minimum may be paid to apprentices, learners, and messengers who are hired to deliver letters and messages.
Furthermore, workers who are injured or have physical or mental disabilities, as well as full-time students, may receive lower pay.
What is Oklahoma’s payment due date?
Employers in Oklahoma are obligated by law to pay their staff members on scheduled paydays at least twice a month. State, county, municipal, school district, technology centre school district, non-private foundation, and exempt personnel that may get paid once a month are the exceptions to this law. It is imperative to remember that salaries must be disbursed within 7 days, with a 2-day grace period.
Oklahoma laws about overtime
Employees who meet the eligibility requirements under the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA) and work more than forty hours in a workweek are eligible for overtime pay, which is paid at a rate equal to 1.5 times base pay.
Oklahoma’s long-term exclusions and limitations
- However, not all workers are eligible for overtime compensation.
- In order to qualify as an overtime-exempt employee, the following conditions must be fulfilled:
- $684 per week is the required minimum salary.
- whatever the number of hours worked, a fixed salary
Additionally, an employee’s eligibility for overtime may depend on a variety of tasks, sectors, or employment levels
Having said that, the following workers are not required to work overtime under the FLSA:
- Workers in executive, administrative, and professional roles who are paid a minimum of $684 a month (or $35,568 annually) in fixed salary
- Workers in computers who make at least $684 a week, or $27.63 an hour
- Highly paying workers making at least $107,432 annually
- Workers in outside sales
- workers in horticulture or agriculture
- Salespeople on commission who work in retail or service environments and make up more than half of their income from commissions on goods or services
- Employees of motor carriers, such as drivers, loaders, driver’s assistants, and mechanics, who provide transportation services on highways for interstate or international trade
Oklahoma break law (Labor Laws in Oklahoma)
There is no Oklahoman state or federal regulation requiring employers to give their older employees lunch breaks or rest periods. However, this does not negate the need for employers to give their staff breaks.
In actuality, taking naps and meals helps maintain a positive work atmosphere and keeps employees from burning out.
If the employment contract contains a guarantee for a break or meal interval, the employer is required to honour that commitment; failing to do so would be a breach of the agreement.
What are the breastfeeding laws in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma state and federal regulations both apply to nursing moms who require breaks to express milk or breastfeed while at work. Employers in Oklahoma are obligated to provide a private area that isn’t a bathroom as well as unpaid breaks for nursing during lunch or other breaks. Nonetheless, employers are not required to provide these breaks if they feel that doing so would result in “undue hardship” for the company.
At the federal level, lactating women are entitled to appropriate unpaid leaves of absence whenever they need them for a year following the birth. Businesses with more than 50 nonexempt employees are subject to this.
Oklahoma’s regulations regarding Child Labour
Both federal and state regulations restrict child labour in order to promote regular school attendance while also ensuring that minors work in an environment free from known hazards.
These are the following regulations on child labour:
- Limitations on hours
- Time outs
- Jobs that are forbidden
- Minimal hours of work for minors in Oklahoma
- Employees sixteen years of age and older are not subject to hour restrictions in Oklahoma since children are protected from work-related harm under the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA).
Employers must, however, abide by the following rules and hour limitations if they want to hire workers who are 14 or 15 years old:
- Work is permitted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or, from June 1st to Labour Day, till 9 p.m.).
- up to three work hours during the school day
- Eight hours or more of work on a day off from school
- 18 hours or more of labour during a school week
- A non-school week may require up to 40 hours of employment.