Ohio Employee Rights: Understanding Your Workplace Rights
As an Ohio employee, it’s important to know your rights in the workplace. The state of Ohio has several laws that protect employees from discrimination, harassment, and wage disputes. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Ohio employee rights and what you should know as an employee.
1. Ohio Employment Discrimination Laws
Discrimination in the workplace can happen in many forms, including race, gender, disability, religion, or age. In Ohio, it’s illegal to discriminate against employees on any of these grounds. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) enforces state anti-discrimination laws and provides resources to help those who have been discriminated against.
The Ohio Revised Code prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations. If you believe you’ve been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the OCRC within 180 days of the incident. The OCRC will investigate your claim and take further action if necessary.
2. Ohio Minimum Wage Laws
The minimum wage in Ohio is currently $8.80 per hour, which is slightly higher than the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour. The minimum wage in Ohio is set to increase each year until it reaches $15 per hour in 2025. Tipped employees must be paid at least $4.40 per hour, and their total hourly wage (including tips) must equal at least the minimum wage.
If your employer is not paying you the minimum wage or the wage rate agreed upon in your contract, it’s important to report this. You can file a complaint with the Ohio Department of Commerce, Wage and Hour Bureau.
3. Ohio Overtime Laws
Ohio employees are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. Overtime pay is calculated as time-and-a-half of an employee’s regular rate of pay. For example, if an employee earns $12 per hour, their overtime rate would be $18 per hour.
There are some exemptions to Ohio’s overtime laws, such as salaried employees who meet certain criteria. However, if you believe you should be receiving overtime pay and you’re not, you can file a claim with the Wage and Hour Bureau.
4. Ohio Family and Medical Leave Laws
Ohio employees may be eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to eligible employees for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child; to care for a seriously ill family member; or due to the employee’s own serious health condition.
To be eligible for FMLA leave, employees must meet certain requirements, such as working for the employer for at least 12 months and working at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12-month period.
5. Ohio Workers’ Compensation Laws
Ohio law requires most employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover employees who are injured on the job. Workers’ compensation benefits can include payment for medical expenses, lost wages, and disability.
If you’re injured on the job, it’s important to report this to your employer as soon as possible. You can then file a claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. It’s important to note that workers’ compensation benefits are usually the only recourse for injured employees, and they cannot sue their employer for injuries.
6. Ohio Whistleblower Protection
Ohio has whistleblower protection laws that protect employees who report violations of state or federal law by their employer. This can include safety violations, fraud, or harassment. If an employee is wrongfully terminated or retaliated against for reporting a violation, they may have the right to file a lawsuit.
7. Ohio Collective Bargaining Rights
Ohio employees have the right to organize and join a union to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Under the National Labor Relations Act, employees have the right to participate in collective bargaining and join a union without fear of retaliation. Ohio has a “right to work” law, which means employees cannot be required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment.
Conclusion
As an Ohio employee, it’s important to understand your rights in the workplace. These rights include protection against discrimination, minimum wage and overtime pay, family and medical leave, workers’ compensation, whistleblower protection, and collective bargaining rights. If you believe your rights have been violated, it’s important to know your legal options and take action to protect yourself. By understanding your employee rights, you can help ensure a fair and safe workplace.
Quick Guide to Ohio Employee Rights in Ohio
Ohio Employee Rights
Some of the best resources on the internet for Ohio employee rights involving various employee rights in minimum wage, fair pay and equal pay, the hiring process, and more is the following website under the state of Ohio:
There are other resources that will be discussed such as the Ohio Revised Code, and this article will cover topics with employee rights in minimum wage, fair pay and equal pay, and the hiring process.
Laws that Protect a Worker in the Hiring Process
There are multiple federal laws that protect a prospective employee during the hiring process, and most of these laws address credit histories, drug tests, and discrimination.
Under Ohio and federal law, an employer is not allowed to discriminate against employees who have undergone bankruptcy in the past. Additionally, although an employer is allowed to give a prospective employee drug test during the hiring process, they are not allowed to give a drug test during employment without a valid reason unless a contact says otherwise.
There are certain laws that restrict an employer from discriminating during the hiring process as well. Some of these laws are listed below:
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which protects against race, color, religion, sex, or national origin)
• Age Discrimination Act of 1963 (which protects workers who are 40 years or older)
• Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which protects disabled persons in federal, state, and local sectors)
• Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (which prohibits discrimination based on genetic information about the employee)
• Civil Rights Act of 1991 (which allows a person to seek monetary damages in employment discrimination)
Laws and Procedures that Protect a Person’s Pay
There are also Ohio employee rights that cover various employee rights in minimum wage and fair pay and equal pay. These Ohio employee rights are listed below:
The Fair Pay and Equal Pay Acts
These acts prohibit sex-based discrimination within the same job. The Fair Pay and Equal Pay Acts also prohibit an employer from paying employees of equal experience and skill different wages based on sex or any categories under discrimination laws.
Safety and Injury Compensation
Ohio employee rights cover protection in the workplace, regardless of the profession. Every employer is entitled to keep a workplace clean and organized, meet OSHA standards, and provide compensation for medical expenses if the employer carries workers’ compensation insurance.
Various Employee Rights with Minimum Wage
The California minimum wage is $7.70 as of January 1, 2012. Various employee rights in minimum wage laws allow the employee to negotiate their wage, and employees receiving minimum wage operate under the same overtime rules as people with higher pay rates. However, an employer may operate under federal minimum wage in some cases if they gross less than $283,000 a year.
Protect of Employee Personal Information
Section 1333.81 of the Ohio Revised codes states that any employee must respect the Ohio employee rights of their company and supply confidential information to anyone who is not authorized to view such information.
There are many more codes that address Ohio employee rights, various employee rights with minimum wage, fair pay and equal pay, and procedures during the hiring process. For more information, consider searching the Ohio Revised Statutes with recommend search methods.
