How to Find Indiana Minimum Wage Laws
Indiana is one of about 15 U.S. states that has not enacted its own minimum wage laws, meaning that compensation is based on the federal minimum wage rate. However, this may change if the legislation currently proposed to raise the federal minimum wage goes forward. Follow these steps to know what the minimum wage laws in Indiana provide and how the federal rate change will impact them.
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Instructions
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Prepare to update federal and Indiana minimum wage posters in the workplace if the proposal to raise the federal minimum wage goes into effect. Employers must post these posters in plain sight and at every work site or location.
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Know that the minimum wage rate applies to businesses with two or more employees.
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Be aware that businesses can pay employees under the age of 20 a lower "training wage" during on-the-job training for a specific number of days of employment.
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Remember that Indiana laws allow employers a "tip credit" against the requirement to pay minimum wage. This means that businesses can pay an employee who earns tips (such as a waiter) a lower minimum wage. However, the total of paid wages and tips must be in line with the state minimum wage, or the employer must make up the difference.
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Understand that certain employees may be exempt from minimum wage requirements, including workers under the age of 16, agricultural workers, student nurses and interns, employees of nonprofit or charitable organizations, government employees and those who earn commissions. For a complete list of exempted occupations and conditions, view the guidelines of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (see Resources below).
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Lodge a formal complaint with your local Wage and Hour Division Office if you think your rights under the Indiana minimum wage laws have been violated (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
Ignorance is no excuse. Employees can privately sue their employers who willfully violate minimum wage laws 3 years after the fact, and 2 years later if unintentional.
State and federal laws are equally unsympathetic. If an allegation is deemed valid, an employer can incur fines up to $1,000 for each occurrence, in addition to legal costs.
