Alabama Labor Laws

Wage and hour laws are designed to ensure employees receive appropriate pay for the work they do. Employers in Alabama must abide by certain laws, including:

• Minimum Wage: Alabama is one of a handful of states without a minimum wage law. However, workers are entitled to the federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour as of 2020).
• Overtime: Alabama does not have laws governing overtime. Instead, the state follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which affords non-exempt employees time-and-a-half (1.5x their regular pay) for all hours worked above 40 in a week.
• Leave: In Alabama, workers are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without jeopardizing their job status for various individual and family medical situations, per the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Alabama is an “at-will” employment state, meaning your employer can let you go at any time, with or without reason or warning. Even so, there are exceptions to the rule which may be grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit. For example:

• Discrimination: You may have a claim if you were fired because of your race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, or another protected characteristic.
• Breach of Contract: If you have an employment contract promising you job security, you may have a claim if your employer breaches the contract.
• Workers’ Compensation: In Alabama, employers are prohibited from firing employees solely because they filed a workers’ compensation claim.

Most employers hire the best person for the job no matter what. Others, unfortunately, take into account protected traits. Federal law prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, and other protected characteristics. 

Examples of workplace discrimination may include:

• Refusing to hire or promote an employee
• Passing over an employee for a raise
• Listing unnecessary job qualifications to root out members of minority groups
• Refusing to hire a person with a disability even though they are capable of doing the job with reasonable accommodations
• Refusing to provide reasonable accommodations for a disabled employee
• Inequitably enforcing disciplinary policies against members of minority groups

If you were subjected to unwelcome remarks or actions based on protected traits, it may constitute workplace harassment. For example:

• Unwelcome physical contact
• Commenting on a coworker’s appearance or body
• Using racial, ethnic, or religious slurs
• Making offensive gestures
• Impersonating a coworker with a disability
• Telling sexual or lewd jokes
• Commenting on a coworker’s sexual orientation

Workplace harassment can also take the form of quid pro quo (“this for that”) harassment, in which promotions, raises, and other benefits are contingent on submission to sexual demands.

At Morgan & Morgan, our legal team has filed more labor and employment cases than any other firm in the country. If you believe your employer has violated your rights as an employee, our Alabama attorneys may be able to help.

Fill out a free case evaluation today. It costs nothing to get started, and we get paid only if your case is successful.