The Utah Labor Law Guide

Minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate that employers are legally obligated to pay employees.

$7.25 per hour for most employees

Compliance Note: Utah’s minimum wage is tied to the federal rate. If the federal minimum wage increases, Utah’s will automatically match it. Currently, it remains at $7.25. Utah prohibits cities and counties from establishing their own higher minimum wage rates.

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Tipped minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate employers are legally obligated to pay employees who earn a significant portion of their income through tips.

$2.13 per hour for most tipped employees

Requirement: Employers may pay this lower cash wage only if the employee’s tips plus the $2.13 cash wage equal at least the full minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. If they do not, the employer must make up the difference.

Utah generally follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employers must pay non-exempt employees time and a half (1.5x) their regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 hours within a workweek.

Utah law distinguishes strictly between adults and minors regarding breaks.

• Adults (18+): Utah law does not require employers to provide lunch or rest breaks.

  • Federal Rule: If an employer chooses to provide short breaks (5–20 minutes), they must be paid. Bona fide meal periods (typically 30+ minutes where the employee is fully relieved of duties) may be unpaid.

• Minors (Under 18):

  • Meal Break: Must receive a meal period of at least 30 minutes no later than 5 hours into the workday.

  • Rest Break: Must receive a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked (or fraction thereof). Minors cannot work more than 3 consecutive hours without a rest break.

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Utah law does not require private employers to provide paid or unpaid vacation or sick leave.

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Child Labor Laws Minors Ages 14–15

• School Days: Max 4 hours per day (Note: Employers subject to federal FLSA must follow the stricter 3-hour limit).

• School Weeks: Max 18 hours per week.

• Non-School Days: Max 8 hours per day.

• Non-School Weeks: Max 40 hours per week.

• Hours: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Extended to 9:00 PM from June 1 through Labor Day).

Minors Ages 16–17

• Hours: There are no specific daily or weekly hour limits for minors 16 and 17. They may generally work any hours, provided the work is not hazardous.

Required Breaks (All Minors Under 18)

• Meal Break: Must receive a meal period of at least 30 minutes no later than 5 hours into the workday. This can be unpaid if the minor is relieved of all duties.

• Rest Break: Must receive a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked (or fraction thereof). Crucially, minors cannot work more than 3 consecutive hours without receiving this 10-minute break.

Utah must follow the federal government's anti-discrimination laws in its hiring and firing process. This means there are strict prohibitions against making hiring or firing decisions based upon a person protected characteristics including but not limited to:

• Race

• Color

• Religion

• Sex

• National Origin

• Age

• Disability

In addition, Utah's own Anti-Discrimination Act widens these prohibitions to include gender identity for businesses with more than 15 employees. 

Hiring
Private sector employers in Utah are prohibited from discrimination in hiring decisions. That means an employer may not refuse to interview or hire a candidate because of their protected characteristics (see list above). 

In addition, Utah forbids public sector employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history early in the application process. They can ask, but they have to wait until after making a provisional offer of employment to that person. This is meant to avoid “preventative discrimination” as a way of ensuring the candidate's merits are duly considered. This is called a ban-the-box law.

Firing
In terms of Utah's termination requirements, it's an at-will employment state, so an employer doesn't need a specific reason to fire someone as long as the reason is not unlawful under, for example, federal and state anti-discrimination laws. 

Final Paychecks
Employers must deliver a terminated or laid off employee's last paycheck within 24 hours of their termination, under Utah's Final Paycheck law. Employees who resign must be paid their final wages by the next regularly scheduled payday.