Washington DC Labor Laws

DC Employment Wages

Despite the District of Columbia not being a state, it still has many “state” laws that it uses outside of federal laws. Some of these laws include state laws for wages. The District of Columbia has set its own minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum wage of seven dollars and twenty-five cents.

DC’s minimum wage currently stands at eight dollars and twenty-five cents. The District of Columbia code section 32-1302 states that employers are required to pay employees a minimum of once every two weeks. Normally this payday is to be no more than ten days after the pay period ends. Laws also state that an employee is to be paid automatically, despite position in the pay period, when he or she is terminated from employment. This is required in all cases and whether or not the termination was on a voluntary basis or an involuntary basis.

Overtime Requirements

The District of Columbia has the same overtime requirements as other states around the country. Federal and state rules say that an employee is to be paid time and a half of his or her normal wages once he or she has reached forty hours in a single week. Time and a half include payment of the same hourly wage in addition to half of that hourly wage, such as having an hourly wage of eight dollars and an overtime wage of twelve dollars. High school students and college students are not given this benefit as they normally only work part-time. Some domestic laborers are also not subject to the benefit of overtime.

Minor Employment

Unlike some states, the District of Columbia code governs how minor employees are to be handled. The District code allows minors under the age of fourteen to obtain employment while residing within the District. All minors under sixteen years of age must obtain work permits prior to working and are not permitted to work more than six days in a row nor more than forty-eight hours in one week. Minors are also not allowed to work more than eight hours in one day or work before seven in the morning or after seven in the evening while school is in session.

All minors over the age of sixteen are not allowed to work more than forty-eight hours in a week but are allowed to work between the hours of six in the morning and ten in the evening on school days. However, minors over sixteen are still not allowed to work more than six days in a row.

Child Labor Laws

All employers are required in the United States to observe all federal child labor laws, including the District of Columbia. The Fair Labor Standards Act recently established rules in relation to part-time employees and full-time employees as well as child labor laws in federal departments and private departments.

Section twelve of the Fair Labor Standards Act discusses employment for youth who help produce goods for commerce. Those working in this capacity are protected under the Fair Labor Standards Act when all goods produced for commerce are removed from where the youth is employed.

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