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The Mandate Monitor

What employers in Georgia must do

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

Short answer

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

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

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

Georgia requirements at a glance

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

Pay rules Georgia employers must follow

Paydays
At least twice a month (semimonthly). Officials, superintendents and heads or subheads of departments may be paid monthly or less often.
Final paycheck, fired
We found no state deadline. Federal law doesn’t require immediate payment; pay by the regular payday for the last pay period worked.
Final paycheck, quit
We found 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. We found no separate state overtime rule.
New hire reporting
Within 10 days of hire, to the Georgia State Directory of New Hires

From the Georgia Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 7, 2026.

Upcoming Georgia deadlines

No dated Georgia 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. Georgia Department of Labor
  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. State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
  6. Last Paycheck, U.S. Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
  7. Georgia State Directory of New Hires: FAQ, Georgia State Directory of New Hires (Georgia Department of Human Services) (read Nov 7, 2026)
  8. Employer Handbook (DOL-224, R-11-24), Georgia Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
  9. Breaks and Meals, Georgia Department of Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)