Alaska Employment Law

Here’s the minimum wage bill passed by both Houses and now before Gov. Palin:

Section 1. AS 23.10.065(a) is repealed and reenacted to read:

(a) Except as provided in (b) of this section and as otherwise provided by law,  for hours worked in a pay period, whether the work is measured by time, piece,  commission, or otherwise, an employer shall pay to each employee wages at a rate that is not less than $7.25 an hour until December 31, 2009, and thereafter not less than 50 cents an hour more than the federal minimum wage. An employer may not apply tips or gratuities bestowed on employees as a credit toward payment of the minimum hourly wage required by this section. Tip credit as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 as amended does not apply to the minimum wage established by this section.

Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 24, 2009.

The end result: A 10 cent raise on July 24th, and then a 50 cent raise to $7.75 on January 1, 2010, and thereafter at a level 50 cents above the federal minimum.