Ohio Time Off
The state of Ohio does not have a law in regards to requiring that
employees receive paid time off. However companies and businesses may
offer this benefit at their own discretion. Companies and businesses
are then required by law to uphold these benefits if written in policy.
Sick leave and paid holidays are not required by the federal government
or by the Ohio state government. Employers have the option of providing
this benefit but are under no legal obligation to do so. Many believe
that they have the right to have holidays off and be paid, but federal
law states that a company or business can lawfully be open three
hundred sixty-five days a year. This in turn requires employees to work
holidays and Sundays. If an employer provides a holiday off, he or she
is not required to offer payment for those days.
Many companies and businesses provided sick leave for their full-time
employees, however many have opted to providing paid time off instead.
Sick leave is often abused where employees simply take the day off
without illness. To stifle hostility and falsity in the workplace, paid
time off allows individuals to have a specific number of days a year
that they may use as they please. Paid time off does include sick days.
Unused vacation time is also not by law, neither state nor federal,
required to be paid when an individual is terminated. Unless a company
or business states in written contract that unused vacation time will
be paid, there is not legal obligation to do so.
Wages
The state of Ohio recently raised its minimum wage of seven dollars to
seven dollars and thirty cents. This minimum wage is five cents higher
than the federal requirement. In 2009 the federal government set a new
minimum wage of seven dollars and twenty-five cents and required all
states to raise their minimum wages. Some chose to match the federal
minimum while others chose to go a dollar or more above the minimum.
Ohio chose to stay above the standard, ever so slightly. Under this law
employees cannot legally be paid less than seven dollars and thirty
cents an hour. However if employees are regularly tipped, employers can
lawfully pay them less. This number varies with each state. Ohio's
tipped minimum wage falls to three dollars and sixty-five cents an
hour. This agreement is designed to even out the wages received along
with the acquiring of tips.
Companies who make less than two hundred sixty-seven thousand a year
can legally pay their employees just over six and one-half dollars an
hour. Ohio law also permits minors of fourteen and fifteen to be
employees at a lower wage.
Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take necessary,
unpaid leave for no more than twelve weeks without losing an employment
position. Maternity leave is also covered under this act. The Family
and Medical Leave Act is a federal act that states that an individual
may not be terminated because he or she is hospitalized, must care for
an ill child, recently acquired a child, must care for an elder parent,
or must handle any other psychological or medical necessity.