Ohio Employer HR Compliance Guide

Priority Compliance Actions

• 1Audit job postings and hiring processes immediately to comply with city-specific pay transparency and salary history ban requirements in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo if you operate in those jurisdictions.
• 2Update payroll systems to reflect the $11.00/hour minimum wage (or $5.50/hour for tipped employees) effective January 1, 2026, and verify your gross receipts threshold annually.
• 3Review MiniWARN Act obligations and establish an internal protocol for triggering the required 60-day notice to the state and employees before any layoff of 50 or more workers.
• 4Update employee handbooks to reflect current at-will status, anti-discrimination protections, and any applicable local ordinances including the Cuyahoga County CROWN Act if operating in that region.
• 5Ensure non-compete agreements are reviewed by counsel for reasonableness in scope and duration, and confirm new hire reporting is submitted within 20 days of each hire.

Leave Laws

Federal FMLA applies to Ohio employers with 50+ employees, providing up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Ohio has no statewide paid sick leave law, though some municipalities may have local ordinances. Ohio does not have a state family and medical leave program beyond federal FMLA protections. Employers should also note Ohio's new MiniWARN Act, which requires 60 days' advance notice to the state and affected employees when laying off 50 or more workers.

Wage & Hour

Ohio follows federal overtime rules requiring time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 per week; there is no state daily overtime requirement. Tipped employees may receive a cash wage of $5.50/hour, but employers must ensure total compensation meets the $11.00 minimum wage. Final paychecks are due on the next regularly scheduled payday following termination. Ohio law does not mandate a specific pay frequency beyond requiring regular, timely payment; there is no notable state expense reimbursement statute beyond what federal law requires.

Worker Classification

Ohio is an at-will employment state, allowing termination by either party at any time for any lawful reason. Worker classification generally follows the IRS common-law control test and federal economic reality standards rather than a strict ABC test. Non-compete agreements are enforceable in Ohio if reasonable in scope, duration, and geographic area, and supported by adequate consideration; courts apply a reasonableness standard and may modify (blue-pencil) overbroad agreements rather than void them entirely.

Hiring & Onboarding

Ohio has no statewide ban-the-box law for private employers, though some municipalities (e.g., Columbus, Cleveland) have local restrictions on criminal history inquiries for private employers. Cleveland's Pay Transparency Act and Cincinnati and Toledo ordinances prohibit salary history inquiries for employers with 15+ employees in those jurisdictions. New hire reporting is required within 20 days of hire via the Ohio New Hire Reporting Center. Drug testing is permitted but must follow a consistent, documented policy; Ohio law does not broadly restrict pre-employment drug testing for most private employers.

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