Attitude
Advertising
What are the requirements for advertising vacancies?
There are no Georgia-specific requirements for advertising a vacancy.
Background checks
(a) Criminal Records and Arrests
Georgia requirements generally correspond to those of federal law. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act may apply. In addition, Georgia’s First Offender Law provides that the expungement of a criminal conviction may not be used to disqualify an individual from applying for employment or appointment to any office in the public or private sector. Therefore, if an applicant or employee has been convicted and granted first-time offender status by the courts, that conviction should not be used to disqualify the applicant or employee from further employment.
(b) Medical history
Georgia requirements generally correspond to those of federal law. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act may apply.
(c) Drug screening
Drug testing is generally permitted for the usual reasons (pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, random, post-accident). However, if an employer wants to receive discounts on workers’ compensation premiums, it must follow certain drug testing rules and implement a drug-free workplace program.
(d) Credit Checks
Georgia requirements generally correspond to those of federal law. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act may apply.
(e) Immigration status
Federal law regulates immigration law. Georgia requires employers with more than 11 employees to use E-Verify.
(f)Social media
None.
(g)Other
None.
wage and hour
Pay
What are the main sources of wage and hour laws in your state?
The Georgia Minimum Wage Law. OCGA ยง 34-4-1 et seq.
How high is the minimum hourly wage?
Generally, employers in Georgia must pay their employees the federal minimum wage. However, employees who are exempt from the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act are still covered by Georgia’s minimum wage law, which requires employers to pay their employees a minimum hourly rate of $5.15.
What rules apply to the final salary and deductions from wages?
There are no final wage laws in Georgia, so employers should issue the final pay check on the next scheduled payday. Georgia law does not have any laws governing wage deductions, so employers should refer to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
hours and overtime
What requirements are there for meal and rest breaks?
Georgia’s requirements generally correspond to those of federal law, except that employers must provide employees with paid breaks of reasonable duration during work hours to express breast milk.
What are the rules for maximum hours?
The same as under federal law.
How should overtime be calculated?
The same as under federal law.
What exemptions from overtime are there?
The same as under federal law.
Keep records
What salary and payment records must be maintained?
The same as under federal law.
