State-by-state guides
Your rights change at the state line.
Each guide starts with the federal rule, then shows how six states go further. Every rule links to the statute or the state agency that enforces it.
- Federal
- California
- Washington
- Oregon
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- New York
Final paycheck laws
When your last check is due after you quit or are fired, what it must include, and the penalties for paying late.
Read the guideOvertime laws
Weekly and daily overtime, double time, exempt salary thresholds for 2026 and 2027, comp time and farmworker rules.
Read the guideMinimum wage
2026 rates and what is already set for 2027, including big-city rates and tipped-worker rules.
Read the guideMeal and rest breaks
Which states require lunch and rest breaks, how long they last, and what a missed break is worth.
Read the guideAt-will employment
What at-will means, and the laws that still make some firings illegal, state by state.
Read the guideDiscrimination filing deadlines
How long you have to file with the EEOC and with each state agency, and when you can go to court.
Read the guideLast reviewed November 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the official sources in each guide. Our attorneys are licensed only in California, and we accept clients only in California. Outside California, find a lawyer licensed in your state.