District of Columbia Labor Laws

In the US, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets regulations to manage the time spent by employees in the workplace, safeguarding their rights and guaranteeing fair pay for their efforts. These laws act as directives for employers, keeping them in check and minimizing any forms of abuse or exploitation.

The District of Columbia’s labor laws are enforced by the state Labor Standards Bureau. The Office of Wage-Hour outlines and enforces laws for minimum wage, overtime, breaks, and paid time off, whereas workplace safety laws and practices are overlooked by the Office of Occupational Safety and Health. 

Employers who contravene these laws can face severe legal ramifications, including fines, back pay, and damages. If workers feel that their employer has violated their rights, they can file a claim with the District of Columbia Department of Labor Services for investigation and legal action.

Employers in the District of Columbia cannot discriminate against job applicants during the hiring process or employees based on 18 protected characteristics listed in the District of Columbia Human Rights Act. These include:

The District of Columbia also follows the “employment-at-will” policy. This means that employees can leave their jobs for any reason with no legal implications, while employers can terminate employees at any time and for any reason. 

Final wage payments in the District of Columbia follow specific regulations:

• An employee who is discharged in DC must receive their final wages on the next working day after termination. However, for employees who are responsible for employer accounts, an employer can take an additional four days after termination to pay final wages. This is to ensure accuracy in the employee’s accounts. 
• Employees who resign (provided that they do not have an employment contract exceeding 30 days) must receive their final wages by their next regularly scheduled payday, or within seven days — whichever is earlier.
• If an employee is discharged due to a labor dispute, they must be given their final wages by their next regular payday.  

Some key labor laws in the District of Columbia also include:

• Workplace Safety Laws: Private sector employers in the District of Columbia are required to follow workplace safety and health standards set by the District of Columbia Occupational Safety and Health Office.  The state department offers proper training and education to employees to create hazard-free working conditions and conducts regular research and safety demonstrations. Scheduled and unscheduled inspections may occur as well. 
• Whistleblower Protection Laws: State employees in DC are protected from retaliatory or disciplinary action if they report any violation of law, misuse of resources, or abuse of authority. Employees are also protected if they refuse to follow their employer’s illegal activity.  
• Background Check Laws: The District of Columbia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Amendment Act (2014) prohibits employers with 11 or more workers from asking about a job applicant’s arrest, criminal, and conviction history on a job application or during an interview. However, an employer can carry out a background check once the candidate has been given a conditional job offer. If the employer has a legitimate business reason, they can withdraw the job offer. 
• Non-Compete Agreement Laws: As of October 1, 2022, employers in the District of Columbia are not allowed to add a non-compete clause in most employment contracts. Under state law, a non-compete clause is allowed only if the employee earns more than $158,363 annually, or if a medical professional earns over $263,939 annually. 
• Health Insurance Continuation Laws: The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) is a federal law designed to help employees retain their health care insurance and benefits for 18 to 36 weeks even after they lose their job. This law applies to employers with at least 20 employees. 
• Reimbursement Laws: If an employee in DC incurs any cost while traveling and purchasing uniforms, tools, and equipment necessary for their work, their employer is required to reimburse them.  
• Recordkeeping Laws: Employers in DC are required to keep employment records of all employees for a minimum of three years. These records must include the employee’s name, Social Security number, job title, date of birth, and full address, including ZIP code. Employers should also maintain documentation of the regular hourly rate of pay, the basis on which wages are paid (e.g., hourly, salary, piecework), and a daily record of start and end times—especially if split shifts apply. Additionally, records should reflect total gross and net wages on a daily or weekly basis, itemized deductions, and the date of each payment.

In the District of Columbia, the minimum wage has increased from $17.00 per hour to $17.50 per hour as of July 1, 2024, till June 30, 2025. From July 1, 2025, the minimum wage will increase again to $17.95 per hour.

Employers in DC are mandated to compensate their workers for all work hours spent on duty, or at a work location, including time spent in training, travel, or maintenance activities. 

Moreover, if a worker in DC reports to work but gets less than four hours of work, their employer must pay them at their regular rate for the hours worked, and at the minimum wage rate for the remaining hours. 

In case an employee is sent home without work after reporting to their job, they must be compensated for four hours of work at the minimum wage rate. This rule does not apply to workers who are scheduled to work less than four hours in a day. 

Split Shift Wages in the District of Columbia

A split shift happens when an employee works multiple shifts in a day. These shifts must have an interval of more than one hour to count as a split shift.

Employees who work a split shift in DC are entitled to an extra hour of pay at the minimum wage rate. 

Tipped employees — workers who receive gratuities like servers and bartenders — must be paid a minimum wage of $10.00 per hour in DC. However, this rate only applies if their earned tips plus the base pay equal at least the regular minimum wage rate of $17.50. If it does not, employers must make up the difference.

Some occupations in the District of Columbia are not entitled to the state minimum wage. These include

• Bonafide executive, administrative, and professional workers 
• Outside salesperson
• Newspaper delivery people
• Volunteers working for educational, charitable, religious, or non-profit establishments. 
• Certain members of religious organizations
• Federal government workers
• Casual babysitters
• Minors
• Student workers
• Security officers
• Disabled individuals
• Jobs that have a determined wage rate due to an existing federal law

Note that disabled employees in DC can only be paid sub-minimum wages if their employer has obtained a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor that authorizes these wages.  

In the District of Columbia, employers are required by law to provide their employees with regular compensation on a semi-monthly basis. Additionally, if an employee is working a split shift, the extra wages for the shift must be paid on the same day.

Non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week are entitled to additional pay as per the District of Columbia overtime laws. These additional wages are calculated at 1.5 times the regular rate for each hour worked overtime. 

As of 2025, overtime wages in the District of Columbia are $26.25 per hour for minimum wage workers. 

Certain employees in the District of Columbia are exempt from earning overtime pay, even if they work more than 40 hours in a week. These employees must perform certain job duties to be exempt under the FLSA as well as earn at least $684 per week (or 35,568 annually).

Typically, white collar employees, such as executive, administrative, and professional employees, are exempt from overtime pay. Other occupations include:

• Outside Salespeople
• Newspaper delivery workers
• Volunteers working for educational, charitable, religious or non-profit establishments. 
• Certain members of religious organizations
• Federal government workers
• Casual babysitters
• Airline and railroad employees
• Automobile dealership workers
• Commissioned workers
• Seamen
• Domestic workers who reside with their employer
• Caretakers of the elderly or infirm

In the District of Columbia, employers are not required to offer rest or meal breaks to their workers under state or federal law. Offering such breaks is at the employer’s discretion. 

However, if an employer chooses to provide such breaks, they must abide by some general guidelines set by the FLSA. Brief rest periods of up to 20 minutes are paid. If a break lasts more than 30 minutes, employees do not receive any compensation.

In the District of Columbia, state law requires employers to provide nursing mothers with daily, unpaid breaks for expressing milk at the workplace. These breaks must be given as frequently as the employee needs them. If the employer already gives paid or unpaid breaks, breastfeeding breaks can be taken at the same time.

Employers in the District of Columbia must also provide adequate accommodation for a nursing employee to express milk. This includes providing a clean, private room (that is free from intrusion) in or near the employee’s workspace. This room cannot be a bathroom stall or toilet. 

Employees in the District of Columbia are entitled to certain leave benefits during their employment, which include:

• Sick Leave: All employees who work more than 50% of their hours in the District of Columbia are eligible for paid sick leave. The amount of leave depends on the size of the company. For up to 24 employees, employers must offer one hour of paid sick leave for every 87 hours worked. For 25-99 employees, employees are entitled to one hour of paid leave for every 43 hours worked. For companies with 100+ employees, employees must receive one hour of paid leave for every 37 hours worked.
• Paid Family Leave: Employees can take paid family leave in DC to take care of their own or a family member’s serious illness,  bond with a newborn, or care for their pregnancy. This leave can last between two to twelve weeks.
• Voting Leave: Eligible workers who need to vote in DC can take two hours of paid leave during their shift. However, employees must inform their employer about the hours they intend to take as leave in a reasonable time. An employer can require an employee to take leave for early voting instead of voting on election day.
• Jury Duty Leave: Employees in the District of Columbia can receive paid jury leave if they are summoned for jury duty. Employees who are not offered paid leave receive $30 as an attendance fee from the Superior Court of the state. If an employee is summoned for jury duty, employers in the District of Columbia must permit them to be absent from work and cannot penalize or discipline them for their acceptance of jury duty.
• School Leave: An employee who is a parent, guardian, grandparent, aunt, or uncle can take paid or unpaid leave to attend any school-related activities for their dependents. Employees can take a maximum of 24 hours off within a 12-month period. For this leave to be granted, a formal request must be made 10 days in advance.

The following is a schedule of public holidays that will be observed in the District of Columbia in 2025:

Individuals under 18 are legally categorized as minors in DC and are subject to the child labor regulations of the state. 

The youngest age of employment in the state is 14. However, minors under 14 may work outside of school hours if they work for parents or legal guardians, on family-owned farms, or while delivering newspapers.

Work Permits for Minors in the District of Columbia

Employers in the District of Columbia are required to secure a work permit for hiring minors. This permit must be kept on file for inspections.

Minors can work casual or irregular jobs in an employer’s home without a permit outside of school hours, as long as the job being done by the minor is not unlawful or a part of the employer’s business.

Generally, employment law in the District of Columbia does not allow minors to work more than six consecutive days in a week. Minors can work up to eight hours daily, with a weekly maximum of 48 hours. 

However, work hours may only be scheduled within specific time frames for minors of different ages:

• For Minors Aged 16 and 17: They can only be scheduled to work between 6:00 a.m. and 10 p.m.
• For Minors Aged Under 16: They can only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. However, these hours can be extended until 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day.

Minors under the age of 18 are not allowed to work or be related to any gainful occupation in the District of Columbia. They can only be employed for agricultural or domestic tasks, newspaper delivery, and newspaper stuffing.

State law also prohibits minors under the age of 16 from employment in any occupation that involves the use of power machinery or the cleaning, oiling, and wiping of such machinery. They are also prohibited from assisting in tasks related to such machinery.