Georgia Labor & Employment Laws

Familiarize and learn how Georgia labor laws work. There are several reasons why entrepreneurs should know these laws. After all, labor laws are crucial to ensure that your business operation runs smoothly.

Georgia Labor & Employment Laws

Georgia labor laws protect the rights of every employee. These laws help businesspeople classify workers based on their job environment. Furthermore, GA employment laws ensure that no one is discriminated against in the work setting. This includes race, gender, religion, disability, and more. There is no need for a degree in law. You just need to understand these GA employment laws, and your business is set up for success.

GA Minimum Wage Laws

Here is vital information on minimum wage, overtime, and other things.

Minimum Wage

In 2022, Georgia’s minimum worker wage is $5.15/hour. This is lower than the federal’s $7.25. However, this state minimum wage does not apply to workers under the federal minimum wage.

The $7.25 is for the following businesses:

With five or fewer employees
Companies with sales of $40,000 or less per year
Companies with only domestic employees
High school or college student employees
Employees working in non-profit causes

GA Overtime Laws

GA labor laws do not have regulations about overtime. However, the state uses the Fair Labor Standard Act. This law stipulates that employers pay the employees 1.5 times their usual rate for hours beyond the 40-hour work week.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. This includes employees who work with different schedules and use the FWW (fluctuating work week) method. This also does not include those working blue-collar jobs, such as firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and others who belong to the same work community.

GA Termination Laws

Another aspect is termination. Georgia adopts the employment-at-will state. Without contracts, employees face termination at any given time. However, the grounds for dismissal should not be discriminatory.

Additionally, there is no limit to the hours of overtime one can clock in in a week, given that the employer is over 16.

GA Whistleblower Protection Act

Georgia labor laws protect whistleblowers. This means employers cannot retaliate against whistleblowers. Additionally, the Georgia Whistleblower Protection Act states that employers cannot enforce or make policies to stop their employees from revealing any violations or noncompliance with governmental laws.

Furthermore, employees cannot punish employers who refuse to get involved in practices/activities they consider a violation of the rule of law.

Other Labor Laws

Drug and Alcohol Testing Laws

Other laws applicable to employers are the Drug and Alcohol Testing Laws. You may test your employees for drugs and alcohol. They may apply for a workers’ compensation insurance policy if specific requirements are met.

COBRA Laws

Another Georgia labor law is the COBRA law which says that employees can continue their health benefits after the end of their employment. Companies with over 20 employees have the mini-COBRA law.

Laws are subject to changes. Also, laws vary from municipality to municipality as well. The same is true for Georgia labor laws. What is relevant today may no longer be applicable the next time. Thus, keep yourself updated on any changes and adhere to them.