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The Mandate Monitor

What employers in Alabama must do

Checked November 8, 2026From the agencies that run each program

Short answer

Most employers in Alabama must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; Alabama doesn’t set a higher one.

Alabama has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Running payroll in Alabama? See the do-it-yourself route and list prices for the 8 payroll systems that say they file payroll taxes.

Alabama requirements at a glance

RequirementStatusWhat it means for you
Minimum wageIn effect$7.25 an hour

Pay rules Alabama employers must follow

Paydays
No state pay-frequency law. Alabama has no state wage and hour laws, so only federal rules apply.
Final paycheck, fired
No state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.
Final paycheck, quit
No state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.
Meal breaks
No state requirement for adults.
Rest breaks
No state requirement for adults.
Overtime
Follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rule: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. Alabama has no state overtime law.
New hire reporting
Within 7 days of hire or rehire, to the Alabama Department of Workforce

From the Alabama Department of Workforce and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 8, 2026.

Upcoming Alabama deadlines

No dated Alabama deadlines on file right now. Federal year-end filings still apply.

Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (no state minimum wage agency)
  2. State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  3. Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  4. Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  5. Wage and Hour Info (Alabama has no state wage and hour laws), Alabama Department of Labor (now Alabama Department of Workforce) (read Nov 8, 2026)
  6. Last Paycheck, U.S. Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
  7. New Hires, Alabama Department of Workforce (read Nov 7, 2026)