Kansas Worker Rights
Kansas follows the federal minimum wage. Its Wage Payment Act helps workers collect unpaid earned wages.
- Kansas
Pay
- Minimum wage: $7.25 for most jobs.
- Overtime: federal rules for most workers; state law requires overtime after 46 hours for some workers not covered by federal law.
- Final pay: by the next regular payday.
- Prevailing wage: no state law; Davis-Bacon applies on federal projects.
Breaks and leave
- No state law requiring meal or rest breaks for adults.
- No state paid sick leave law.
Unions and right-to-work
Kansas is a right-to-work state: a union contract can’t require you to join a union or pay dues or fees to keep your job. You still have the right to organize and act together with coworkers under federal law. See Right-to-Work States.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: Kansas Department of Labor, Wage and Hour (Kansas Wage Payment Act), or the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Discrimination and harassment: Kansas Human Rights Commission, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: Federal OSHA covers private employers. See Kansas safety rules.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with Kansas’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the Kansas Department of Labor before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: