Utah labor laws, including Utah labor laws 2024, impact the daily lives of employees and employers in Utah. Residents of Utah have many questions that affect them every day regarding Utah labor laws from minimum wage rates, overtime, wage payments, vacation and sick leave, child labor, meal and rest breaks, and more.
In addition to Utah labor laws, employer must also comply with federal labor laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and many other federal laws. And when federal laws are different from state Utah labor laws, usually companies must comply with the law that provides their workers the best protection.
Below we provide comprehensive information and resources regarding your more pressing Utah labor law questions to help you answer the question and help you make the right decision about you and your employment.
Minimum Wage
In Utah, the standard minimum wage is $7.25, on par with the federal minimum wage. The Utah Labor Commission may set the minimum wage rate, but it cannot be a higher increase than the federal minimum wage in the Fair Labor Standards Act.
There are requirements the Utah Labor Commission must meet, including:
- Reviewing minimum wage when the federal minimum wage changes
- The state can review Utah’s minimum wage at any time
- The state must review the minimum wage every three years at minimum
It is important to note that all minimum wage laws in Utah exempt employees entitled to a minimum living wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Most employees’ situations do not apply to the state’s minimum wage laws.
Additionally, tipped employees must receive at least $30/month in tips before being paid tipped minimum wage.
Currently, Utah offers a tipped minimum wage of $2.13. Employers must ensure their employees earn the standard minimum wage when combining tipped wages and tips. If employees don’t meet this threshold, employers must pay the difference.Visit our Utah minimum wage information page to learn more about minimum wage in Utah.
Related topic covered on other pages include:
Overtime
Utah labor laws do not have laws governing the payment of overtime. UT Labor Comm. FAQs. Federal overtime laws apply.
Federal laws under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) state that employees are eligible for overtime pay at their regular rate if they work more than 40 hours in a workweek unless otherwise exempt. Standard overtime pay is 1.5 times the regular pay. See FLSA: Overtime for more information regarding overtime requirements.
Prevailing Wages
Utah labor laws do not have a prevailing wage law that governs wage rates on government project or service contracts.
Under certain circumstances, employers in Utah may be required to pay residents wage rates established by federal prevailing wage rates and rules. The prevailing wage rates may be different from the federal and state’s standard minimum wage rates. Employees may be eligible for prevailing wages if they work on government or government-funded construction projects or perform certain government services. See the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), and Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act (PCA) for more information about prevailing wages.
Meals and Breaks
Utah labor laws require employers to provide a meal period of not less than thirty (30) minutes to employees under the age of eighteen (18) scheduled to work more than five (5) hours. Employers must provide a rest break of at least ten (10) minutes to employees under the age of eighteen (18) for every three (3) hour period or part thereof that is worked. Utah Admin. Code R610-2-3.
Utah labor laws do not require employers to provide breaks, including lunch breaks, for workers eighteen (18) years old or older. UT Labor Comm. FAQs. An employer who chooses to provide a break in excess of twenty (20) minutes does not have to pay wages for lunch periods or other breaks if the employee is free to leave the worksite, in fact takes their lunch or break, and the employee does not actually perform work. According to federal law, breaks twenty (20) minutes or shorter typically must be paid.
Nursing Mother Breaks
Utah labor laws do not require employers to provide nursing mothers with breaks to express breast milk. However, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires certain employees to provide nonexempt nursing mothers for one (1) year following a child’s birth with reasonable rest breaks to express milk and private spaces, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk.
Vacation Leave
Under Utah labor laws, employers aren’t required to offer employees paid or unpaid vacation benefits. Employers who provide vacation time benefits must comply with the terms set in employment contracts.
Additionally, employers must pay employees for accrued vacation upon termination of employment. That said, there is some lacking information regarding vacation leave laws in Utah. Some of the missing regulations include:
- Information about denying payment for accrued vacation if not outlined in a contract
- Requiring employees to comply with requirements to receive paid vacation upon employment termination
- Information about whether employers can cap accrued vacation over time
- If employers can implement “use-it-or-lose-it” policies regarding vacation leave
Visit our Utah vacation leave information page to learn more about vacation leave in Utah.
Sick Leave
Utah employers aren’t required to provide unpaid or paid sick leave benefits to employees. If employers offer such benefits, they must comply with the terms set in employment contracts. Additionally, they must abide by established policies when providing paid or unpaid sick leave.
In some instances, employers may be required to offer unpaid sick leave to employees via the Family and Medical Leave Act. This may also apply to certain employees based on other federal laws.
Visit our Utah sick leave information page to learn more about sick leave in Utah.
Holiday Leave
Private employers are not required to offer employees unpaid or paid holiday leave. They may also require employees to work on holiday at their standard rate. Employees will be eligible to earn a premium rate (1.5x their standard rate, for example) if their hours qualify as overtime.
Utah employers who offer paid or unpaid holiday leave must abide by the terms set out in employment contracts. Additionally, they must abide by any established policies.Visit our Utah holiday leave information page to learn more about holiday leave in Utah.
Jury Duty Leave
Under Utah labor laws, employers are not required to offer employees paid time off to serve on a jury or respond to a summons. They cannot threaten or discharge employees when they receive a jury summons.
Employees may not be coerced when serving on a jury or attending court for prospective jury service. Their employers cannot require or ask them to use sick days, vacation days, or annual leave for responding to a jury summons or any related activities.Visit our Utah jury leave information page to learn more about jury leave in Utah.
Voting Leave
Employers must provide employees with up to two hours of paid time off to vote. This applies if employees do not have three or more off-duty hours to vote while polls are available. Employers could also require employees to request voting time off one day in advance.
Yes, Utah employers have the right to dictate when employees can take voting time. The only exemption is when employees request time at the end or beginning of their shift. Employers who do not provide paid voting leave are committing Class B misdemeanors.
Visit our Utah voting leave information page to learn more about voting leave in Utah.
Severance Pay
Utah labor laws do not require employers to provide employees with severance pay. UT Labor Comm. FAQs. If an employer chooses to provide severance benefits, it must comply with the terms of its established policy or employment contract.
Unemployment
Some Utah residents may apply for unemployment benefits while searching for another job. However, there are eligibility requirements residents must meet, including:
- Applicants must be unemployed through no fault of their own.
- Applicants must have earned a minimum wage amount before becoming unemployed.
- Applicants must be ready and available to work.
- Applicants must continually seek employment while filing for benefits.
Visit Utah’s unemployment information page to learn more about unemployment benefits in Utah.
Other Utah Labor Laws Topics and Resources
There are several other Utah labor laws governing the employers and their workplaces. Below are those topics and resources:
- Utah Child Labor Laws covers minor employees and addresses topics including work during school hours and summer hours, school days and summer days, hour restrictions, and hazardous occupations.
- Utah Antidiscrimination Act is enforced by the Utah Labor Commission. Employees are also protected by federal discrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner (EEOC). The state and federal discrimination laws offer employees protections and violations based on the following:
| Disability (a mental or physical impairment) | Sex, including sexual harassment | Gender expression | National Origin |
| Race (includes hair texture) | Sexual orientation | Religion | Ancestry |
| Creed | Gender identity | Age (40+) | Pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions |
| Color |
- Utah wage payment laws including covering frequency and manner of wage payments, regular paydays, pay periods, deductions, direct deposit and payroll cards, pay statements, record keeping, final paychecks, and notice requirements.
- Utah minimum wage and overtime exemptions covering non-exempt employees and exempt employees.
- Utah law regarding hours worked including rest breaks, meal breaks, on-call, waiting, travel, sleeping, and meeting times.
- Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division (UOSH) enforces the state laws and regulations regarding workplace safety and health. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) covers federal workplace safety and health requirements.
- Active employees, including those in the national guard, and veterans may also be eligible for military leave under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
- The Utah Labor Commission Industrial Accidents Division manages the state’s worker compensation insurance enforcement. Employees who are injured on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits that minimizes the financial impact on the employee.
