Although I’m quite sure the Notorious B.I.G. was referring to something else, I’m talking about Ohio Constitutional Amendment II-34a. In November of 2006 my fellow Ohioans passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring that the minimum wage in Ohio adjusts annually to reflect the rate of inflation. I won’t bore you with the math on how it’s calculated (because most of it goes over my head) but I will tell you the result. Starting January 1, 2019, the minimum wage for non-tipped employees in Ohio who do not qualify for one of the white collar exemptions will raise from $8.30 to $8.55/hour. The minimum wage for tipped employees will rise from $4.15 to $4.30/hour. However, if the employer grosses less than $314,000, it is only required to pay the current federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour). Finally, if the employee is under the age of 16, they are only entitled to the federal minimum wage.
Ohio isn’t the only state to make money moves in 2019:
| State | New Minimum Wage | New Tipped Minimum Wage | Effective Date | Previous Minimum Wage |
Previous Tipped Minimum Wage |
| Alaska | $9.89 | No tip credit | 1/1/2019 | $9.84 | No tip credit |
| Arkansas | $9.25 | $2.63 (no change) | 1/1/2019 | $8.50 | $2.63 |
| Arizona | $11.00 | $8.00 | 1/1/2019 | $10.50 | $7.50 |
| California | $12.00 (large employers) $11.00 (small employers) |
No tip credit | 1/1/2019 | $11.00 (large employers) $10.50 (small employers) |
No tip credit |
| Delaware | $8.75 (January) & $9.25 (October) |
$2.23 (no change) | 1/1/2019 & again in October | $8.25 | $2.23 |
| Florida | $8.46 | $5.44 | 1/1/2019 | $8.25 | $5.23 |
| Maine | $11.00 | $5.50 | 1/1/2019 | $10.00 | $5.00 |
| Massachusetts | $12.00 | $4.35 | 1/1/2019 | $11.00 | $3.75 |
| Minnesota | $9.86 (large employers) $8.04 (small employers) |
No tip credit | 1/1/2019 | $9.65 (large employers) $7.87 (small employers) |
No tip credit |
| Missouri | $8.60 | $4.30 | 1/1/2019 | $7.85 | $3.90 |
| Montana | $8.50 | No tip credit | 1/1/2019 | $8.30 | No tip credit |
| New Jersey | $8.85 | $2.13 (no change) | 1/1/2019 | $8.60 | $2.13 |
| New York | Standard: $15.00 (NYC large) $13.00 (NYC small) $12.00 (LI & WC) $11.10 (Upstate) |
$7.50 - $12.50 (varies by firm size, region, industry & amount of earned tips) | 12/31/2018 | $13.00 (NYC large) $12.00 (NYC small) $11.00 (LI & WC) $10.40 (Upstate) | $7.50 - $11.05 (varies by firm size, region, industry & amount of earned tips) |
| Fast Food: $15.00 (NYC) $12.75 (rest of NY) |
No tip credit | 12/31/2018 | $13.50 (NYC) $11.75 (rest of NY) |
No tip credit | |
| Ohio | $8.55 | $4.30 | 1/1/2019 | $8.30 | $4.15 |
| Rhode Island | $10.50 | $3.89 (no change) | 1/1/2019 | $10.10 | $3.89 |
| South Dakota | $9.10 | $4.55 | 1/1/2019 | $8.85 | $4.43 |
| Washington State | $12.00 | No tip credit | 1/1/2019 | $11.50 | No tip credit |
| Vermont | $10.78 | $5.39 | 1/1/2019 | $10.50 | $5.25 |
For a more detailed chart and to see the individual city changes to the minimum wage (mostly in California, of course) read the National Employment Law Project's Report. Employers should remember that they are still required to post the minimum wage and overtime information in a conspicuous place, such as the break room or another common space that can be accessed by employees. A copy of the updated poster for Ohio can be found here.
In the words of Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls) “It’s like the more money we come across, the more problems we see.” Let’s hope 2019 is a year of Mo Money, (Less) Problems! Happy New Year!