Ohio Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More for 2025

Ohio does not require employers to provide sick leave, either paid or unpaid, for employees. The availability and details of sick leave are largely determined by employer policies and contracts.

• Employers who choose to provide sick leave must follow their own written policies regarding accrual, eligibility, and usage.
• Some public employees or those in unionized workplaces may have sick leave as a benefit outlined in their collective bargaining agreements or state policies.

The FMLA requires employers with 50 or more employees to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons, including the birth of a child, care of a seriously ill family member, or the employee’s own health condition.

• To be eligible, an employee must have worked for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months for an employer covered by the FMLA.
• Ohio does not have a separate state law that provides leave beyond what the FMLA offers.

Ohio does not have a law mandating bereavement leave for employees. Whether leave is provided for the death of a family member is up to the employer’s policy.

• Many employers voluntarily provide 1-3 days of bereavement leave for immediate family members, but this is at the employer’s discretion

Under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act, it is illegal for Ohio employers to discriminate against employees based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions. Pregnant employees may be entitled to reasonable accommodations.

Parental leave is covered under the FMLA, providing up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Ohio does not offer additional parental leave beyond the FMLA.

Ohio does not require employers to provide paid or unpaid leave for holidays. However, many employers voluntarily offer paid holidays as part of their benefits package.

In addition, Ohio does not require additional pay for work performed on holidays, unless it is specified in an employment contract or company policy

Ohio does not mandate vacation leave, whether paid or unpaid. Employers have the freedom to set their own policies regarding vacation accrual, carryover, and usage.

If an employer has a written policy that specifies vacation leave, accrued vacation time may be considered earned wages that must be paid upon termination of employment

Ohio provides specific protections for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) providers in the event they need to respond to emergencies.

Job Security: Ohio law prohibits employers from terminating employees who are volunteer firefighters or EMS providers for being absent or late to work due to responding to an emergency before their scheduled reporting time.

Who Is Covered: This protection applies to:

• Members of a volunteer fire department.
• Employees working for a political subdivision of Ohio as volunteer firefighters.
• Volunteer providers of emergency medical services (EMS).

Pay Policy: Employers may deduct the time lost due to responding to an emergency from the employee’s regular pay.

Employee Obligations:

• Submit written notice of volunteer status to the employer within 30 days of certification.
• Notify the employer if they may be late/absent due to emergencies, or provide a written explanation if prior notice is not possible.
• Provide documentation from a fire chief or medical director if requested by the employer.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) applies in Ohio, ensuring that employees serving in the military have the right to take unpaid leave for military service and are entitled to be reemployed upon return.

Ohio also has additional protections for public employees, offering up to 31 days (one month) of paid leave for military service each year.

Family Military Leave is typically covered under the FMLA, which allows eligible employees to take leave for family members’ military deployments or injury.

Employers may voluntarily offer family military leave beyond federal requirements.

Ohio law requires employers to give employees a reasonable amount of time to vote on Election Day but does not mandate that this time must be paid.

Employers may request that employees give notice in advance if they need time off to vote. The law prohibits employers from penalizing employees for taking time to vote

Ohio requires employers to provide leave for employees serving on jury duty. This leave does not need to be paid unless otherwise provided by the employer’s policy.

Employers are prohibited from retaliating against or penalizing employees for serving jury duty. It’s also against the law to require employees to take vacation or sick leave for them to serve their jury duties. 

Ohio law provides victims of crimes with the right to take leave to attend criminal proceedings. This leave is typically unpaid unless otherwise provided by the employer.

Crime victims may use other available forms of leave, such as personal or vacation leave, to attend court proceedings or handle related matters.

Ohio has a statewide minimum wage of $10.70 per hour as of January 2025. 

• No Local Variations: Unlike some states that allow cities to set their own minimum wages, Ohio maintains a uniform minimum wage law statewide, ensuring that all workers across different regions of Ohio are subject to the same minimum wage standard.
• Cost of Living Adjustments: The statewide minimum wage is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which takes into account cost-of-living changes but does not vary by locality.

• Tipped Employees: Tipped workers can be paid a base wage of $5.25 per hour, provided their tips bring total earnings to at least $10.45 per hour.
• Student Learners/Full-Time Students: Employers can pay no less than 75% of the minimum wage to student learners who are enrolled in vocational education.
• Workers with Disabilities: Employers may pay a sub-minimum wage to workers with disabilities, subject to a federal certificate.

Certain employees and employers are exempt from the state minimum wage laws based on their job role, size of the business, or specific work conditions. These exemptions align closely with federal exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

a. Small Employers: Employers with gross receipts of $385,000 or less are only required to pay employees the federal minimum wage instead of the Ohio minimum wage.

b. Tipped Employees: Workers who receive more than $30 a month in tips are considered “tipped employees.” Their base hourly wage is $5.35 per hour (as of January 2025), provided their total earnings (including tips) meet or exceed the regular state minimum wage of $10.45.

c. Other Exemptions: Additional exemptions include:

• Minors (Under 16 Years Old): The minimum wage requirements do not apply to minors under 16, who may be paid a lower wage.
• Certain Student Workers: Those employed under specific student work programs or internships may also be exempt or subject to a different wage standard.
• Individuals in Specific Roles: Employees in executive, administrative, or professional roles, as well as some agricultural workers, outside salespersons, and individuals in certain educational or seasonal roles, may also be exempt from minimum wage requirements.

Ohio is an “at-will” employment state, meaning either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, or for no reason at all, provided the reason is not illegal (such as discrimination or retaliation).

Exceptions: There are some exceptions, such as wrongful termination in violation of anti-discrimination laws, retaliation, or breaches of employment contracts.

Ohio is not a “right-to-work” state, which means unions may require employees to join the union or pay dues as a condition of employment in unionized workplaces.

Employment in unionized workplaces may be governed by collective bargaining agreements that stipulate different rules than those applicable to non-union employees

Background Checks: Employers may conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees. However, they must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and relevant state laws.

Employers must also ensure the background check process does not violate anti-discrimination laws.

Drug Testing: Employers in Ohio are permitted to require drug testing as part of the hiring process or during employment. If testing is required, employers must follow a fair and consistent policy, typically outlined in the employee handbook.

Ohio follows federal EEO laws, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age (40 or older), and genetic information.

Ohio also provides additional protections against discrimination for ancestry and military status.