Labor Standards Division

Wage Claims

The Labor Standards Division processes wage claims for citizens whose employer has failed to pay them their final paycheck. Certain requirements must be met before the Labor Standards Division can process your wage claim. If you make twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more per year, you are not eligible to file a wage claim with the Department of Labor. If you are owed more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), you are not eligible to file a wage claim with the Department of Labor.

If you are filing a wage claim because you believe you are due vacation pay, sick pay, a bonus, holiday pay, or severance pay, you must provide us a copy of the company policy that specifically states you will be paid for these items. If you do not attach the policy, we will not be able to process your claim.

You may still be able to recover your money even if we are unable to assist you. If you believe you are owed money, and we have told you that we cannot help you, you can seek the advice of a private attorney, or attempt to recover your funds in small claims court. Please review the brochure at this link for a discussion of how small claims courts work. http://www.arkbar.com/publications/pdf/scc_pub.pdf

In either case, please review our Frequently Asked Questions, as the answers provided may help you to resolve the matter.

Questions about wage claims?
Call Yolanda Gatewood at (501) 682-4505.

• Click here (PDF) to file a wage claim with the Department of Labor.

Please note that processing a wage claim takes time. After you submit your wage claim, the employer is notified and given an opportunity to respond. If the employer denies the wages are owed, the matter is assigned to a Labor Standards investigator. The investigator will look into the matter and make a determination. You and the employer will be notified of the determination, and either party may request an administrative hearing to contest the findings. Wage claims can sometimes take up to ninety days to complete.

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