Kansas Payment Laws
Kansas currently has no state law requiring employers to provide their
employees with benefits upon hire or at any time while employed.
However some employers may choose to offer benefit packages for their
full-time employees. Such benefits often include paid vacation, paid
holidays, and paid sick leave. The United States also does not have a
federal law requiring employers to pay employees for any time off
taken. Kansas currently does not have a state law for paid time off.
Paying employees for any time off is at the discretion of the business
or company of employment.
However if an employer does provide benefits like paid time off and
presents them in written format, he or she is required by law to
provide these benefits. Denying guaranteed benefits is illegal. When
employers do not honor their contracts or such other disputes, the
department of labor will handle the situation.
Employers may also provide paid vacation time. If such a benefit is
offered and an individual is terminated, he or she is entitled to
receive any or all of his or her unused vacation payment, unless a
contract states otherwise. If an employer denies this requirement, the
department of labor will also settle this dispute.
Family and Medical Leave
Kansas does not have a state law in regards to unpaid leave. Instead
Kansas uses the federal law that allows employees to take up to twelve
weeks of leave without the consequence of termination. This twelve
weeks of leave must be taken consecutively and spread among several
months. All of this kind of leave is unpaid.
The Family and Medical Leave Act covers all of these necessities and
provides personal opportunities for family illness and personal needs.
This act includes maternity leave, the care of an elderly parent, the
care of an ill child, hospitalization, and other medical or
psychological needs. Maternity leave is specifically designed to allow
new mothers the opportunity to care for newborns or adoptive parents to
bond with new children. An employee on maternity leave may request to
return to work earlier than the twelve-week maximum, which is at the
discretion of the employer.
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act an employer cannot lawfully
terminate an individual due to pregnancy or family leave. An employer
may hire a temporary employee to handle the employee on leave's duties
or other employees may divide the tasks for the allotted time. Upon
return an employee on leave is entitled to receive his or her former
position or a position of the same salary and benefits.
Kansas Minimum Wage
Under United States law all states are required to have a minimum wage
at or higher than the federal minimum. The state of Kansas has the same
minimum wage as the federal law's minimum requirement. In 2009 the
federal minimum wage was raised to seven dollars and twenty-five cents
an hour.
Employers cannot legally pay their employees lower than the minimum
unless the employees receive tips on a regular basis. These employees
may legally be paid two dollars and thirteen cents an hour, as tips
make up the difference in wages.