Ohio General Employment Law

Ohio employment is regulated by state and federal laws. Most employees in Ohio are employed as at-will-employees unless the employee has an employment contract with the employer or protected by law.

At-will-employees serve at the will of their employers. They may be terminated at any time, for no reason, or for a lawful reason, with or without notice. In the same regards, an at-will-employee is free to quit their job at anytime for any reason or no reason, with or without notice.

Employee handbooks may or may not give you more rights in relationship to your at-will-employment. A wise employee will always check the employee handbook for additional information on severance, firing policy, hiring policy, and disciplinary policies.

Employees are generally entitled to a "reasonable expectation" of privacy. The American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Drug-Free Workplace Act, and the Federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act are laws that affect workplace privacy.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establish minimum wage, overtime pay, and record keeping affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The Ohio Wage and Hour Bureau of the Ohio Department of Commerce enforces Ohio minimum wage, child labor, and prevailing wage laws. Ohio Revised Code section 4115 applies specifically to construction projects.