Ohio Labor Law Guide 2026: Minimum Wage, Overtime, Breaks, and Pay
Ohio labor laws for employers in 2026: the $11.00 minimum wage indexed every January, overtime after 40 hours, no adult break mandate but a 30-minute break for minors, no paid sick leave law, semimonthly pay with final wages by the next regular payday, and work permits for minors.
Ohio sits between the federal-floor states and the high-regulation coasts. Voters wrote an inflation-indexed minimum wage into the state constitution in 2006, and the state has its own overtime, semimonthly pay, and minor labor statutes, but no break mandate for adults and no paid leave law. The Ohio Department of Commerce's Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration enforces the wage laws and publishes the new minimum wage each September for the following January 1.
- Ohio's minimum wage is $11.00 for employers with $405,000 or more in annual gross receipts and $7.25 for smaller employers, with a $5.50 tipped cash wage, and it rises every January 1 with inflation
- Overtime is due after 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5x under Ohio Revised Code 4111.03, with no daily rule
- Adults have no break entitlement, but minors may not work more than 5 consecutive hours without a 30-minute rest period
- Ohio has no paid sick leave, paid family leave, or predictive scheduling law, and local ordinances on these subjects are preempted
- Wages must be paid at least semimonthly, and final pay is due by the next regular payday or within 15 days, whichever comes first
Minimum Wage in Ohio
Ohio's minimum wage is $11.00 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.50 per hour for tipped employees in 2026, for employers with annual gross receipts of $405,000 or more. Smaller employers, and 14 and 15 year old workers, may pay the federal $7.25. Under the 2006 constitutional amendment the rate is adjusted each January 1 by the change in the consumer price index, and the Department of Commerce announces the next year's figure by September 30. Ohio has no local minimum wage ordinances; state law preempts them.
For the rate history, the tipped rules, and the small-employer threshold, see the Ohio minimum wage guide.
Overtime Rules
Ohio Revised Code section 4111.03 requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, mirroring the FLSA, for employers with annual gross receipts of $150,000 or more. Smaller employers follow the federal rule where the FLSA applies. There is no daily overtime and no seventh-day rule. A 2022 amendment (Senate Bill 47) clarified that time spent commuting, running errands, or checking email outside working hours without the employer's request is not compensable, and it bars class actions under state overtime law.
Worked example at the state minimum: an employee paid $11.00 works 45 hours. That is 40 hours at $11.00 ($440.00) plus 5 hours at $16.50 ($82.50), for $522.50 gross. The overtime calculator handles the math, and the overtime pay laws in the US guide compares Ohio with other states.
Ohio uses the federal exemptions and the federal $684 weekly salary threshold.
Meal and Rest Breaks
Ohio does not require meal or rest breaks for employees 18 and older. The federal rule applies to breaks an employer chooses to give: rest breaks of 20 minutes or less are paid, and meal periods of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if the employee is fully relieved of duty. Minors are different: the Ohio Minor Labor Law provides that no employer may employ a minor more than 5 consecutive hours without a rest period of at least 30 minutes.
| Break type | Requirement | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Meal period (adults) | Not required; unpaid only if 30 minutes or more and duty-free | 18 and older |
| Rest break (adults) | Not required; paid if 20 minutes or less | 18 and older |
| Minor rest period | 30 minutes after no more than 5 consecutive hours of work | Under 18 |
| Nursing mothers | Reasonable break time and a private space under the federal PUMP Act | All employers |
The break time calculator shows the minimum breaks for any shift where a mandate applies, and our rest and meal break laws by state guide covers every state.
Paid Sick Leave and Other Leave
Ohio has no statewide paid sick leave or paid family leave requirement, and state law preempts local governments from imposing one. Leave is governed by federal law and employer policy.
| Leave type | Ohio rule |
|---|---|
| Paid sick leave | Not required; local mandates preempted |
| Family and medical leave | Federal FMLA (50 or more employees) |
| Jury duty | Job-protected; unpaid unless policy provides; employers may not require an employee to use vacation for jury service |
| Voting | Reasonable time off to vote; employers may not fire or threaten an employee for taking it |
| Military | Federal USERRA plus state protection for Ohio National Guard members |
| Crime victim and witness | Job-protected leave to attend court proceedings as a victim or subpoenaed witness |
See paid sick leave laws in the US for the states that mandate sick leave, and jury duty laws in the US for court leave.
PTO Payout and Final Paychecks
Ohio Revised Code section 4113.15 requires employers to pay wages at least twice a month: wages earned in the first half of the month by the 1st of the following month, and second-half wages by the 15th. Final wages follow the same rule, so they are due by the next regular payday or within 15 days of separation, whichever comes first, and unpaid wages that remain outstanding for 30 days accrue liquidated damages. Unused vacation is paid out only if a written policy or agreement provides for it; Ohio does not require payout by statute, and a clear forfeiture policy is enforceable. Our PTO payout laws by state guide covers the rule.
Deductions are limited to those required by law, authorized in writing by the employee, or ordered by a court, and may not reduce pay below the minimum wage.
Exempt vs Non-Exempt Employees
Ohio applies the federal tests: a salary of at least $684 per week ($35,568 a year) and primarily executive, administrative, professional, computer, or outside sales duties. Ohio law also lists state-specific exemptions from overtime, including certain agricultural workers, live-in domestic workers, and employees of family-owned businesses. A salaried contact-center team lead who spends the day on calls is non-exempt. Our exempt vs non-exempt employees guide and the FLSA exemption flowchart cover the duties tests.
Child Labor Rules
Ohio's Minor Labor Law (Revised Code Chapter 4109) requires a work permit for every employed minor aged 14 through 17, issued through the school district, and sets hour limits that the Department of Commerce publishes on its Minor Labor Laws poster.
| Age group | School in session | School not in session | Hours of day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 and 15 | 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week; no work during school hours | 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week | 7 AM to 7 PM (9 PM from June 1 through September 1) |
| 16 and 17 | No daily or weekly hour limits | No limits | Not before 7 AM on a school day (6 AM if not working past 8 PM the night before) and not after 11 PM before a school day, unless a parent and the school agree otherwise |
| All minors | 30-minute rest period after 5 consecutive hours | Work permit required |
Governor DeWine vetoed a 2025 bill that would have allowed later school-night hours for 16 and 17 year olds, so the limits above stand. See child labor laws in the US for the federal rules that also apply.
Other Ohio Employment Rules
- Commuting and after-hours activity. Since 2022, time spent traveling to work, running personal errands, or doing incidental after-hours tasks the employer did not require is not compensable under state law.
- Drug-free workplace. Employers that enroll in the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Drug-Free Safety Program receive a premium rebate.
- Non-competes. Enforceable if reasonable in duration, geography, and scope under the Raimonde standard, and courts may modify overbroad agreements.
- Marijuana. Ohio's 2023 recreational cannabis law preserves employers' right to maintain drug-free policies and to refuse to hire or discipline for use.
- Firearms in vehicles. Employers may not prohibit concealed-carry licensees from keeping a firearm locked in a vehicle on company property.
- Minimum wage poster. The Department of Commerce publishes a new poster each September; the 2027 rate appears on it before January 1.
Hiring, Termination, and Record-Keeping
Ohio is an at-will state with exceptions for discrimination, retaliation, and public policy. The Ohio Civil Rights Commission enforces the state anti-discrimination law, which covers employers with 4 or more employees. Ohio has no ban-the-box law for private employers and no salary history ban.
The minimum wage amendment requires employers to keep records of each employee's name, address, occupation, rate of pay, hours worked each day and week, and pay for at least 3 years after the last date of employment, and to provide them to the employee or the state on request. Post the Ohio minimum wage poster, the minor labor laws poster if you employ minors, and the federal notices. A time card calculator for audits and a written timekeeping policy satisfy the daily-hours record requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ohio an at-will state? Yes, with exceptions for discrimination, retaliation, and public policy.
Does Ohio require lunch breaks? Not for adults. Minors under 18 must receive a 30-minute rest period after no more than 5 consecutive hours of work.
When is overtime paid in Ohio? After 40 hours in a workweek at 1.5x. There is no daily overtime.
When is the final paycheck due in Ohio? By the next regular payday or within 15 days of separation, whichever comes first, under the semimonthly pay statute.
Does Ohio have paid sick leave? No. There is no statewide requirement, and cities may not impose one.
What is the minimum wage in Ohio in 2026? $11.00 an hour for employers with $405,000 or more in gross receipts, $5.50 for tipped employees, and $7.25 for smaller employers.
How many hours can a minor work in Ohio? 14 and 15 year olds may work 3 hours on a school day and 18 in a school week, between 7 AM and 7 PM. 16 and 17 year olds have no hour caps but may not work after 11 PM before a school day.
Does Ohio pay out unused PTO? Only if a written policy or agreement provides for it.
Sources
- Ohio Department of Commerce: Minor Labor Laws poster (PDF)
- Ohio Department of Commerce: Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration
- Ohio Revised Code 4111.03: Overtime
- Ohio Revised Code 4113.15: Semimonthly payment of wages
- US Department of Labor: State Minimum Wage Laws
Reviewed September 2026
The minimum wage figures follow the US Department of Labor's July 2026 table and the Ohio Department of Commerce poster, and the minor labor hours follow the Commerce Minor Labor Laws poster as reported. The Commerce web pages could not be retrieved for this review, so the overtime coverage threshold, final pay timing, voting and jury duty rules, drug-free workplace, non-compete, marijuana, and record-keeping details are stated from general knowledge of the Revised Code and should be confirmed with the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration or counsel before you rely on them.
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