Minimum wage in Georgia of $5.15 an hour is too low for a livable wage. As an employer, you should consider raising the wage to a livable amount. However, this law doesn’t apply to businesses with fewer than five employees. Here are some reasons why the minimum wage in Georgia should be higher. To find out more, read on. And remember: The Raise the Wage Act would increase wages by $4.7 billion in the state.
Minimum wage in Georgia is $5.15 per hour
Georgia has a low minimum wage compared to the federal level. At $5.15 an hour, the minimum wage is well below the federal minimum of $7.25. The low minimum wage in Georgia is not unusual, and Louisiana and Mississippi have no minimum wage laws at all. This long-time Southern strategy has a symbolic significance. It shows that employers’ interests come before workers’. Even full-time college students are entitled to 85% of the state minimum wage.
The federal minimum wage law applies to most workers in Georgia, but there are some exceptions. Students, farm workers, and businesses with less than $500 in sales are not covered. In addition, the FLSA covers certain positions that are not covered by Georgia law. Students in high school and college may also be exempt from paying a minimum wage. But in Georgia, there are many exceptions to the state’s minimum wage law.
It doesn’t apply to businesses with fewer than five employees
While Georgia doesn’t have its own laws governing wage rates, all employers must abide by federal minimum wage and overtime rules. If you have employees working over 40 hours per week, you must pay them time and a half their regular rate for overtime work. In some instances, employers are exempt from the overtime laws, including police officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders who work for smaller departments. Other exceptions include commission-based employees, interns, and home helpers. Some workers are even exempt from the minimum wage law, especially those with disabilities.
In Georgia, employers with more than 50 employees must adhere to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year. Employees can take FMLA leave for medical reasons, care for a family member, or bond with a newborn or adopted child. During the leave, employers must provide health insurance for the employee. If the employee returns from FMLA leave, they should be given their previous position back. This law doesn’t apply to businesses with fewer than five employees in Georgia.
It is not a livable wage
In the 1930s, the southern states battled the federal minimum wage, seeing it as an attempt to undermine their economic development. Now, the same conservative belief persists that a low-cost workforce produces the most favorable business climate. In Georgia, progressive Democrats have attempted to add a $15 minimum wage to the coronavirus relief bill, but a senatorial parliamentarian rules that it violates the chamber’s budgetary rules. While polling shows that most Georgians favor raising the minimum wage, the debate has left many Georgians torn between doing the right thing for workers and ensuring the success of their businesses.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Georgia has a much higher minimum wage, which is currently $13/hour and set to increase to $15 in the next two years. While the minimum wage in Georgia is below the federal standard, it is still well below what many workers would consider a livable wage. As a result, raising the minimum wage in Georgia will be a political heavy lift, but it is necessary to ensure that workers have adequate opportunities for upward mobility.
It should be higher
The minimum wage in Georgia has remained at $5.15 an hour for 15 years, which is well below the federal minimum wage of $7.25. This low minimum wage isn’t uncommon in the South. Both Louisiana and Mississippi don’t have a minimum wage law at all. It has long been a Southern strategy, a symbol of employer interests over worker interests. Fortunately, some people are speaking out.
While the federal minimum wage in Georgia is the standard, some states and corporations have their own. In Georgia, two new senators, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, are campaigning to increase the minimum wage in their state to $15 an hour by 2025. Republicans have argued against this, but they should not be overly worried because the wage increase won’t be fully implemented until 2025. This would have a dramatic effect on low-wage workers.
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