Bill > H0056

This bill amends existing Idaho law concerning minimum wages, specifically focusing on the wages of tipped employees. It changes the minimum direct wage an employer must pay a tipped employee from $3.35 per hour to $4.35 per hour. Furthermore, this direct wage amount will increase by $1.00 at the start of each state fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2014, and continuing until July 1, 2016. After July 1, 2016, the direct hourly wage for tipped employees will automatically adjust to match the federal minimum wage. The bill also clarifies that if the tips an employee receives, combined with their direct wages, do not reach the overall minimum wage, the employer must cover the difference, and if there's a disagreement about tip amounts, the employer has the responsibility to prove how much the employee actually received. Importantly, any tips shared with other employees through tip pooling arrangements do not count towards the tips an individual employee is considered to have actually received for the purpose of this law.