January 25, 2016
Understanding Employment Law in Your State: Kansas
Do you know your rights as an employee in Kansas? You might assume that your rights are the same in any state, but in reality, there are many key differences between employment law even between neighboring states like Kansas and Missouri. In order to protect yourself from wrongful termination or other employment offenses, it is essential to be informed about the specific employment laws in Kansas and what to do if you believe one of those laws has been broken.
Payment & Overtime Laws in Kansas
In Kansas, there is a guaranteed minimum wage of $7.25 an hour for workers above 18 years of age. Kansas law requires overtime pay if an employee works 46 hours or more in a work week. However, federal law says that overtime is due once an employee has worked 40 hours within a week. The determining factors of whether your employer must follow state or federal regulations in this case involve the amount of annual revenue and interstate commerce of a business. Technically, since there is no maximum on the number of hours a person is allowed to work per week, an employer can have an employee work 24 hours a day unless the employee is under age 16. By Kansas state law, those under age 16 can work no more than three hours on school days and no more than eight hours on non-school days. If an employer has violated legal terms of payment or overtime, get help filing a report by working with an employment law attorney.
Termination in Kansas
Kansas is an employment-at-will state, which means that an employer can fire an employee at any time without giving a reason. Under this same law, employees can quit at any time without first giving notice. However, employees are protected by law from being fired due to a discriminatory reason. Kansas law provides protection against employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, disability, ancestry, national origin, and age. Terminated employees must file employment complaints within six months from the alleged discriminatory act in order to seek compensation.