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Arkansas voters passed a ballot measure for a series of minimum wage increases that started in 2018.
To make sure you’re up to date on the upcoming increases, we’ve put together this guide for business owners on the current minimum wage in Arkansas.
What is the current minimum wage in Arkansas?
The current Arkansas minimum wage is $11, and it has not changed since 2021. The wage increase was approved in the 2018 November election, and it boosted wages for an estimated 300,000 workers — about a quarter of the state’s workforce.
The current Arkansas minimum wage applies to most employees:
- Tipped employees, who must be paid a minimum of $2.63 per hour. This amount plus tips must equal at least the state minimum wage.
- Full-time students, who can be paid 85 percent of the Arkansas minimum wage if they are working up to 20 hours per week.
- Employees considered exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) may be exempt from paying the highest minimum wage.
- Overtime, must be paid to most employees who work over 40 hours per week. There are some special provisions to overtime in Arkansas for workers like police, fire departments, hospitals, and residential care facilities.
Are there plans to change the minimum wage in 2024?
Arkansas is one of the states where minimum wage increases are decided by ballots. In 2021, the last of the proposed minimum wage increases from the 2018 votes were implemented. Whether another increase will take place in 2024 is yet to be determined.
Considering the Arkansas minimum wage increase, it’s important to take proactive measures to ensure your business is prepared.
How should small business owners prepare for changes to the minimum wage?
As an employer in Arkansas, you may be accustomed to making minimum wage increase adjustments already. In case you need some tips, we recommend the following:
- Evaluate your staffing: Review your monthly sales and overhead costs to determine if your current staffing levels are appropriate. Based on your monthly cash flow, decide if you need to make adjustments to your hiring plan. If you have a seasonal business, for example, it might make sense to hire contract employees instead of full-time employees.
- Use best hiring practices: To make sure you find the right employees, use best hiring practices and ask smart interview questions to thoroughly vet candidates. Once you hire employees, focus on retention. The hiring process is time-consuming and expensive, but if you take time up front for hiring and prioritize employee retention, you’ll save money in the long run.
- Upgrade your technology: If you automate time-consuming and tedious tasks, such as automatic payroll, you can streamline operations and free up time to focus on issues like staffing and growing your business. Square payroll software offers small business pricing to get any size business set up with easy ways to pay your employees. There are even custom payroll features to fit your unique needs.
- Set yourself up for success: If you’re just starting your business, learn how to avoid common payroll mistakes like payroll mishaps. Understand how to handle payroll for salaried employees versus hourly workers with ease.
While these are helpful guidelines to follow, make sure your business is prepared and stays in compliance, you should discuss Arkansas minimum wage laws with your accountant and lawyer. Learn more here about how to manage cash flow and price out your goods and services to align with changing trends.
