Know Your Rights: Employment Rights in Oklahoma - College of Law

Know Your Rights: Employment Rights in Oklahoma

BASIC PAYMENT FACTS

  • If you are not paid a salary, you should be paid every two weeks.
  • Minimum wage= $7.25/hour
  • Payment may be made through various methods such as direct deposit, paper check, a debit card, or cash.

WORKPLACE SAFETY

  • Your workplace is required to be safe under the  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
  • You shouldn’t be required to perform tasks that could get you hurt or sick.
  • To file a complaint go to: www.osha.gov

Watch Know Your Employment Rights: Young Workers in Oklahoma

 

MINIMUM WAGE

  • $7.25/hour
  • Minimum wage applies to training employees as well
  • Some job positions are exempt from this minimum wage rule. See the Department of Labor website, www.dol.gov, for more information.

OVERTIME

  • Oklahoma follows time and a half pay (one and a half times) an employee’s normal amount.
  • The minimum wage for overtime hours is $10.88/hour.

TIPPING

  • Oklahoma state tipping minimum wage is $2.13/hour.
  • Employers can pay this amount as long as the employee earns enough in tips to bring their total hourly wage to at leas the state minimum wage.
  • Tipped employees can be required to perform non-tipped tasks.

EQUAL PAY ACT

  • Prohibits employers from purposely paying women at a rate less than the rate at which it pays men for comparable work on jobs requiring comparable skill, effort, and responsibility.
  • Permissible based on: seniority, merit, or a system that measures earnings on any factor other than sex.

Watch Worker’s Financial Rights

 

EMPLOYMENT OF MINORS

  • Oklahoma restricts the hours worked by 14-15 years old minors but not 16-17 years old minors.
  • Break policies also differ based on age group. For instance, Oklahoma has mandatory break laws for youths under the age of 16.
  • Company policy dictates breaks and lunch periods for everyone age 16 years or older.

TERMINATION

  • If the employer ends your employment, the employer has to pay the employee’s wages in full unless there is a disagreement on what wages are owed.
  • Payment should be made through regular payment channels or through mail.
  • Seek legal advice if you believe your former employer is withholding money owed to you.

Watch Know Your Rights: Employment Discrimination

 

Tulsa Curfew and Teenage Work

PURPOSE

  • The purpose of the curfew is to protect youths from dangers, to promote parental supervision and to reduce criminal activity and protect the public.

BASIC FACTS

  • Applies to those under 18 years old.
  • Sunday-Thursday: 11pm-6am
  • Friday-Saturday: 12am-6am
  • Friends,18 and over, do not count as parental supervision.

PENALTIES

  • Violation of curfew may result in a fine no more than $200 excluding costs.
  • You may also be subjected to community service.

Watch Curfew for Young People: City of Tulsa