Georgia is an employment-at-will state with relatively light state-level wage and hour regulation. Even so, compliance planning can still require careful coordination. HR and mobility teams often need to align Georgia-specific rules with federal requirements, particularly under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), when relocating employees into the state.

Below is a Georgia-focused checklist based on current state statutes and agency guidance, designed to support informed and consistent compliance decisions.

Minimum wage & overtime

• State minimum wage: Georgia’s statutory minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, this rate applies only to a limited group of employers. Most employers operating in Georgia are covered by the FLSA and therefore follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

• Which rate typically applies: Employers engaged in interstate commerce or meeting federal revenue thresholds are generally covered by the FLSA, making the federal minimum wage the standard. Only certain narrowly defined employers may fall outside federal coverage and rely on Georgia’s statutory rate.

• Tipped employees: Georgia’s minimum wage statute excludes tipped employees. As a result, federal tipped wage rules apply, including a $2.13 per hour cash wage, provided tips bring total earnings to at least the federal minimum wage.

• Overtime: Georgia does not have a separate state overtime law. For most private-sector employers, overtime is governed by the FLSA:

• • 1.5× the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek
  • Applicable unless the employee meets an exemption (such as executive, administrative, or professional roles)
    

Practical consideration: Many employers plan on federal wage and overtime standards applying unless professional guidance confirms otherwise.

Mobility teams must ensure that relocation policies, benefits frameworks, and employee-facing guidance are implemented in a way that accounts for the employment protections and eligibility rules of the destination state. MovePlus supports organisations and global mobility teams by helping operationalize clear, scalable mobility policies and processes that take destination-specific considerations into account.

Pay frequency, method & final pay

• Pay frequency: Most Georgia employees are paid at least semi-monthly, on regular dates selected by the employer, with the month divided into two substantially equal pay periods.

• Permitted pay methods: Commonly used pay methods include:

• • • Cash
    • Check
    • Direct deposit (with employee consent)
    • Payroll cards, provided required fee disclosures are made
      
      
• Final pay timing: Georgia law does not specify a statutory deadline for issuing a final paycheck. General wage payment rules still apply, and many employers choose to align final pay with the next regular payday as part of their standard payroll process.

Meal & rest breaks

• General rules: Neither Georgia law nor the FLSA requires employers to provide meal or rest breaks for adult employees.

• If breaks are provided: When employers choose to offer breaks:
  • Rest breaks of 20 minutes or less are generally treated as paid time
  • Bona fide meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more, with full relief from duties) may be unpaid.

• Nursing mothers: Georgia law requires reasonable break time for nursing mothers to express breast milk, in addition to federal protections under the FLSA PUMP Act.

Leave & paid sick time

• State-mandated leave

Georgia does not require employers to provide paid vacation, sick leave, or personal leave. These benefits are typically governed by employer policy or employment agreements.

• Georgia family care act

For employers with 25 or more employees who already provide paid sick leave, eligible employees may use up to five days per year of that leave to care for immediate family members. This provision governs usage of existing leave rather than creating a new entitlement.

• Federal FMLA

Employers with 50 or more employees remain subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides eligible employees with up to 12 or 26 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave, depending on the qualifying reason

Workers’ compensation & workplace safety

Employers with three or more employees, including regular part-time workers, are generally required to carry workers’ compensation insurance under the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act.

Independent contractors

Georgia does not apply an “ABC test” for worker classification. Instead, classification typically follows federal and common-law principles, with a focus on the employer’s right to control the manner and means of work.

Proper classification remains relevant for:

• Minimum wage and overtime compliance
• Workers’ compensation coverage
• Unemployment insurance and tax obligations
  

Hiring, reporting & separation

• New hire reporting

Employers generally report new hires and rehires within 10 days through the Georgia New Hire Reporting Program, commonly via an online portal or approved electronic submission.

• Required workplace posters

Employers display applicable federal and Georgia labor law posters—such as FLSA, OSHA, EEO, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation notices—in a conspicuous location. Digital access is commonly provided for remote or mobile workforces.

• Separation notice (Form DOL-800)

When an employee separates from employment, Georgia regulations require employers to issue a Separation Notice (Form DOL-800) for unemployment claims processing.