The minimum wage will be increasing in Delaware twice in 2019. On January 1, the base wage will be $8.75, rising to $9.25 on Oct. 1.
But, for the first time in Delaware history, we will now have a multi-tiered minimum wage.
The General Assembly adopted a “Youth Rate” and a “Training Rate” that is $8.25. The youth rate applies to workers ages 14 through 17. The training rate applies to adult workers during their first ninety days on a new job. The youth wage was part of a last-minute compromise with opponents of a higher minimum wage.
These new categories are 50 cents less than the regular minimum wage rate. Effectively, that means workers under 18 and new employees with less than 90 days on the job won’t see an increase on January 1st. Their first increase ($8.75) will come when they become eligible for the regular rate or on October 1, 2019, with the next general increase, whichever comes first.
The labor law poster sets out all the rates. It is required to be displayed in all workplaces in a place accessible to employees and where they regularly pass. The poster is available on the Department of Labor’s website and can be downloaded in English here and Spanish here.
Businesses should be wary of advertising pitches disguised as mandatory notices that seem to indicate that buying a poster is a legal requirement.
