(650) 332-8623Utah Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More for 2026
Utah labor laws explained for 2026. Covers minimum wage, overtime, breaks, child labor, and more — built for Utah construction contractors.
Utah meals and breaks
No lawFor lunch breaks
No Utah law requires a lunch break for construction crews. A general contractor, electrical firm, or plumbing subcontractor has no state obligation to schedule a meal period for adult workers.
Minors under 18 are the exception — they are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break after five consecutive hours worked, regardless of trade or industry.
No lawFor rest breaks
No Utah law requires paid rest breaks for construction workers. A Utah contractor has no state obligation to provide a 10-minute rest period at any point during a shift.
Utah jobsites are still governed by federal OSHA heat illness prevention standards (29 C.F.R. Part 1926), enforced by Utah’s state-plan OSHA agency. Those standards mandate scheduled rest, shade access, and water when conditions create heat exposure risk. A contractor cannot use the absence of a state break statute as a defense against a UOSH heat citation.
Utah labor laws on breaks are stricter for minors: workers under 18 receive one 10-minute paid rest break for every three hours worked.
Utah leave and paid time off (PTO)
Utah has no state law requiring private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Construction contractors set their own sick leave policies. If a contractor establishes a sick leave policy, they are legally obligated to follow it.
Construction contractors with 50 or more workers within a 75-mile radius must comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, 29 U.S.C. § 2601), which gives eligible crew members up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year.
To be eligible, a worker needs 12 months of tenure and at least 1,250 hours worked in the prior 12 months.
Qualifying reasons include the birth or adoption of a child, a serious health condition in the worker or an immediate family member, and qualifying military family situations. Utah has no state-specific family leave law beyond FMLA.
Utah has no state law requiring contractors to provide bereavement leave, paid or unpaid. Contractors may establish their own bereavement policies. Whatever is put in writing becomes enforceable.
Utah has no state law requiring contractors to provide paid or unpaid vacation leave. Vacation leave is at the contractor’s discretion and governed by the employment contract or company policy.
Utah contractors are not required under state or federal law to provide paid time off for holidays. Whether to close a job site on a holiday or offer holiday pay is the contractor’s decision.
Utah contractors are not required to provide paid jury duty leave. Workers are entitled to unpaid leave to fulfill jury service without fear of termination or retaliation.
Utah has no law requiring contractors to provide paid witness leave for workers subpoenaed to appear in a legal proceeding. Protections exist to ensure workers can participate in legal proceedings without retaliation.
Utah contractors must provide up to two hours of paid voting leave on Election Day if a worker’s shift does not include at least three consecutive non-working hours while polls are open. Schedule it proactively. Last-minute requests on active jobsites create workflow problems.
Utah crew members who serve in the National Guard or Reserves are entitled to unpaid leave for military duty and must be reinstated in the same or equivalent position on return. Same seniority, same pay.
Federal USERRA (38 U.S.C. § 4301) governs this nationwide. Health coverage continues for up to 24 months during the leave period.
Public sector note — does not apply to contractors
Starting July 1, 2026, Utah state government employers must provide paid parental leave to state employees.
Starting January 1, 2025, state employees became eligible for up to one week of paid safe leave under Utah Code § 63A-17-511.5. Both are public-sector mandates only.
Here are more state-specific labor laws to explore:
- Colorado Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Kansas Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Maine Labor Laws 2026: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More
- Mississippi Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- South Dakota Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Tennessee Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Texas Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More for 2026
Utah wages and overtime
$7.25/hourMinimum wage
Every Utah construction worker must be paid at least $7.25 per hour in 2026. The federal floor set by the (29 U.S.C. § 206). Utah Code § 34-40-103 prohibits the from setting a state rate above the federal minimum. No state increase is scheduled and no city or county may set a higher local Utah minimum wage.
1.5x hourlyOvertime rate
A Utah framer, electrician, or plumber earns 1.5x their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek under the . Utah has no daily overtime threshold. A 12-hour day does not trigger overtime on its own. Utah overtime laws require no double-time pay at any threshold.
Salary threshold — current enforced standard: $684/week ($35,568/year) for executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) exemptions. The DOL’s 2024 rule that would have raised this to $1,128/week was vacated by a Texas federal court on November 15, 2024. The highly compensated employee (HCE) exemption threshold is $107,432/year. The DOL appealed to the Fifth Circuit; as of May 2026, the appeal remained pending and $684/week is the only enforceable threshold.
For Utah contractors: a salaried foreman or project manager earning under $684/week is not exempt from overtime. Workyard’s GPS-verified time records give contractors a clean, timestamped audit trail before a dispute reaches the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division.
$2.13/hourTipped minimum wage
Tipped roles are rare on Utah construction sites, but where tips are received, the minimum cash wage is $2.13/hour. The employer may claim a tip credit, but total compensation — cash wages plus tips — must equal at least $7.25/hour in every pay period. If tips fall short in any cycle, the employer makes up the difference.
Semi-monthlyPay frequency
Utah construction payroll must run at least semi-monthly under the Utah Payment of Wages Act (Utah Code § 34-28). Weekly and biweekly cycles are common on jobsites and fully permitted. Paying less frequently than twice a month is a violation.
Utah contractors operating in Salt Lake City, Provo, or any other municipality pay the same $7.25/hour floor. Utah law preempts local wage ordinances statewide. Unlike Colorado or California, no Utah city or county can set a higher local minimum wage.
Three categories of workers on Utah job sites may be paid below the standard $7.25/hour floor:
- Youth training wage: Workers under 20 may be paid $4.25/hour during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment.
- Tipped workers: $2.13/hour cash base, with tips bringing total to at least $7.25/hour.
- Workers with disabilities: Employers may apply to the DOL for a Section 14(c) FLSA certificate authorizing sub-minimum wages for workers with qualifying disabilities.
Utah exempts some workers from the $7.25/hour standard. The most relevant for construction firms:
- Outside salespersons: Workers whose primary duties involve selling away from the employer’s fixed location and who are primarily commission-compensated.
- Immediate family members: A contractor’s spouse, parent, or child working in the business.
- Apprentices: Workers in DOL-approved apprenticeship programs may be paid at program-set rates, which can fall below $7.25/hour during the training period.
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Utah prevailing wages
Utah has no state prevailing wage law, but Utah construction contractors working on federally funded projects must comply with the federal. Paying DOL-determined prevailing wages by trade and county for every worker on the job.
This applies to any project with federal dollars in the funding stream — highways, federal buildings, public schools built with federal grants. Davis-Bacon compliance means classifying workers correctly by trade and skill level, paying the applicable prevailing wage rate, compensating overtime at 1.5x that rate, using apprentices only in approved ratios, and submitting certified payroll (WH-347 forms) to the contracting agency. Wage determinations are available at SAM.gov/wage.
Prevailing wage resources
- U.S. Department of Labor — Davis-Bacon and Related Acts: wage determinations for Utah by county and trade.
- Utah Department of Workforce Services: labor standards guidance for federal projects in Utah.
- GSA — Wage Determinations Online (SAM.gov): official rates by trade, county, and project type.
Utah child labor laws
Utah contractors who hire minors for site cleanup, landscaping, or seasonal work face criminal exposure — HB 19 (effective May 7, 2025) introduced graduated misdemeanor and felony penalties under Utah Code § 34-23-402 for illegal employment of underage workers. Utah child labor laws are governed by Utah Code Title 34A, Chapter 6 (Utah Child Labor Act). The stakes are higher than they were. This is not just an administrative fine.
Workers under 14
Laws in Utah for workers under 14:
Children under 14 cannot work on construction sites. Newspaper delivery, babysitting, and hand-tool yard work are permitted. No work permit is required, but the employer must verify the child’s age before the first shift.
Workers ages 14-15
Laws in Utah for workers under 16:
Minors aged 14–15 are barred from construction sites. They may work in non-hazardous roles in retail, food service, and janitorial settings. Hour limits:
- Maximum 4 hours on a school day; 8 hours on a non-school day
- Maximum 40 hours per week
- Hours restricted to 5 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
- No work during school hours without school officials’ written authorization
- 30-minute unpaid meal break after five consecutive hours
- 10-minute paid rest break for every three hours worked
Workers ages 16-17
Laws in Utah for workers ages 16 and 17:
Workers aged 16-17 can work on Utah jobsites with no hourly limits, but they remain banned from hazardous occupations — roofing, demolition, excavation, operating skid steers or trenchers, and electrical work. A 16-year-old can sweep a site and carry materials. They cannot run a backhoe or work on a roof.
Like all workers under 18, 16- and 17-year-olds are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break after five consecutive hours and one 10-minute paid rest break for every three hours worked.
Here are more labor laws to explore:
- Arkansas Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Delaware Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Hawaii Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Indiana Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More for 2026
- Michigan Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Montana Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- Nevada Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
- New York Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2026)
Other essential Utah labor laws
Health and safety standards in Utah
Utah construction contractors face UOSH citations up to $16,131 per serious violation and up to $161,323 for willful or repeat violations. Penalty levels raised by HB 50 (effective May 7, 2025, Utah Code § 34A-6-307). The Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division (UOSH), not federal OSHA, conducts inspections and issues citations for private sector workers on Utah jobsites. Current penalty schedule:
- Serious violations: up to $16,131 per citation
- Willful violations: $11,518–$161,323 per violation
- Repeat violations: up to $161,323 per occurrence
- Failure to correct: up to $16,131 per day
For a 15-person framing crew: a single willful fall-protection violation — missing guardrails on an open edge — now carries a maximum $161,323 penalty. The old ceiling was $70,000.
Utah employers must:
- Maintain a work environment free from recognized hazards.
- Follow UOSH standards: PPE, fall protection under 29 C.F.R. Part 1926 Subpart M, and hazard communication.
- Report serious injuries and fatalities to UOSH within eight hours.
- Keep OSHA 300 injury and illness logs current.
Utah workers should:
- Use all provided safety equipment and follow jobsite safety protocols.
- Report unsafe conditions to the employer or directly to UOSH.
- Know they can refuse demonstrably unsafe work without retaliation.
Report health and safety violations in Utah to:
- UOSH Hotline: (801) 530-6901 — anonymous complaints accepted.
- Utah Labor Commission online complaint portal.
Hiring and/or firing employees in Utah
Utah at-will employment means a contractor can terminate any worker at any time for any legal reason — or no reason. Workers can quit at any time without notice. No written termination notice is required from either side unless an employment contract specifies otherwise.
Utah right to work law means workers on Utah jobsites — union or open-shop — cannot be compelled to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of keeping their job. HB 267, which had banned public sector collective bargaining, was repealed in December 2025 following a voter referendum drive. That repeal restores rights for government employees only. Private sector union rules are unchanged.
Utah contractors may run pre-employment background checks and drug tests on applicants. Any third-party background check must comply with the FCRA — written consent required, results disclosed to the applicant, dispute rights provided.
Drug testing is permitted pre-employment and randomly during employment, provided workers are notified of the policy before it is applied.
New as of May 6, 2026 — HB 130: Utah contractors who require pre-employment physical exams or physician-administered drug screens cannot charge applicants for those exams. The employer pays the provider directly. Employers also cannot require current workers to undergo mandatory exams outside their scheduled shift without compensating them for that time.
Penalty: 5% of exam costs per day for up to 20 days, assessed by the Utah Labor Commission.
Utah employment laws require contractors to comply with federal EEO rules enforced by the EEOC. Utah contractors cannot discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability, or genetic information. The Utah Antidiscrimination Act adds state-level enforcement for firms with 15 or more workers.
Anti-discrimination laws in Utah
Utah contractors with 15 or more workers cannot discriminate in hiring, promotion, or termination under the Utah Antidiscrimination Act (Utah Code Title 34A, Chapter 5).
SB 86 update (signed March 26, 2025 — Utah Code § 34A-5-102): The act was amended to explicitly expand the sexual harassment definition to include harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. NDA and non-disparagement clauses tied to sexual harassment claims are now restricted under Utah Code § 34A-5-114. Utah contractors should review any template NDAs for compliance.
Employers in Utah may not discriminate against job applicants or employees based on:
- Race or color
- Religion or creed
- Sex — including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity (updated by SB 86)
- National origin or ancestry
- Age (40 and older)
- Disability (mental or physical)
- Genetic information
Employee resignation or termination in Utah
A Utah contractor can terminate any crew member at any time under utah at-will employment — no advance notice required and no reason needed, as long as the termination is not illegal. Workers can leave the same way.
Termination is unlawful when it violates anti-discrimination statutes or constitutes retaliation — for example, firing a worker for filing a UOSH safety complaint or a workers’ compensation claim. File a discrimination complaint with the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD). Unlawful termination exposes a Utah contractor to civil liability, reinstatement orders, and back-pay awards.
Unemployment benefits in Utah
Utah construction crews laid off at the end of a project are generally eligible for unemployment benefits through the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS). Eligibility requires sufficient wages in the base period (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters) and active job seeking.
Workers terminated for misconduct or who quit without good cause typically do not qualify. Apply online at jobs.utah.gov.
COBRA benefits in Utah
Utah construction crew members separated from employers with 20 or more workers can continue their employer-provided health coverage under COBRA (29 U.S.C. § 1161). Coverage extends up to 18 months after job loss or reduction in hours, and up to 36 months for disability or a secondary qualifying event.
The former worker pays the full premium, including the employer’s prior contribution, plus a 2% administrative fee. COBRA is federal law. It applies regardless of Utah state rules.
Final paychecks in Utah
Utah contractors who terminate a worker must issue the final paycheck within 24 hours — that is the hard deadline under the Utah Payment of Wages Act (Utah Code § 34-28). The timeline varies by how employment ended:
- Involuntary termination (fired or laid off): Final paycheck due within 24 hours of termination.
- Voluntary resignation: Final paycheck due by the next regular payday or within 10 days, whichever is sooner.
- Accrued PTO and vacation: Must be included only if company policy or the employment contract requires a payout. Utah has no law mandating PTO cash-out on separation.
The 24-hour rule is the most common gap for Utah construction contractors. A crew dismissed at project closeout must be paid within 24 hours — not at the next scheduled payroll run. Utah final paycheck law has no grace period for terminations. Workyard’s automated timesheet exports let contractors pull final hours immediately and process the check the same day.
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Utah recordkeeping requirements
Utah employment laws require contractors to retain employment records on the following minimum schedule. Construction firms licensed under Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 55 must retain pay statements for at least three years.
1 year
Employers must retain these documents for at least one year:
Pre-employment records — applications, resumes, and background reports for applicants not hired.
3 years
Employers must retain these records for at least three years:
- Wage and hour records — time records, payroll records, and wage documentation (FLSA).
- Employment records — personnel files, training records, leave records, and benefits records. Retain for the duration of employment plus three years.
5 years
Employers must retain these records for at least five years:
- OSHA 300 injury and illness logs — retained for five years after the calendar year they cover. OSHA 300A summaries must be posted on the job site every February 1 through April 30.
6 years
Employers must retain these records for at least six years:
Post-employment records — COBRA notices, benefits eligibility records, and separation documents (ERISA).
30 years
Employers must retain these records for at least 30 years:
Hazardous substance exposure records and Safety Data Sheets (SDS) — required for any Utah job site using solvents, adhesives, coatings, or other regulated materials.
Penalties for Labor Law Noncompliance in Utah
Utah contractors face penalties ranging from $500 per wage violation to $161,323 for a willful safety citation — and criminal charges for child labor violations. Labor laws that Utah contractors must follow are enforced by multiple agencies simultaneously. The table below covers the current penalty schedule, updated by HB 50 (May 2025) and HB 19 (May 2025).
Up to $500/violationMinimum wage violation
A contractor paying any crew member below $7.25/hour. Back wages owed to the affected worker are recovered in addition to the fine. Enforced by the DOL Wage and Hour Division and the Utah Labor Commission (Utah Code § 34-28).
Up to $1,000/infractionFLSA overtime violation
A contractor failing to pay 1.5x for hours over 40 in a workweek, or misclassifying a non-exempt foreman or project manager as exempt. All unpaid overtime is owed on top of the fine.
Up to $16,131/citationUOSH serious safety violation
A Utah jobsite hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm — missing fall protection on a roof, an unguarded excavation edge, or failure to provide required PPE. Assessed per citation (HB 50, May 7, 2025 — Utah Code § 34A-6-307).
Up to $161,323/violationUOSH willful or repeat violation
A contractor who knowingly disregarded a safety requirement, or whose crew is cited for the same hazard after a prior citation. A single willful fall-protection failure on a 15-person framing crew can now reach $161,323 (HB 50, May 7, 2025 — Utah Code § 34A-6-307).
Up to $16,131/dayFailure to correct a UOSH citation
A contractor who does not abate a cited hazard by the correction deadline. Fines accrue daily until the hazard is fixed. A two-week delay on a serious citation adds up to $225,834 in additional penalties (HB 50, May 7, 2025).
Misdemeanor or felonyChild labor violation
A contractor who puts a minor on a prohibited task — roofing, demolition, heavy machinery, excavation — or exceeds hour limits, or falsifies age verification documents. Criminal penalties are graduated by severity under Utah Code § 34-23-402 (HB 19, May 7, 2025).
In Utah, labor law violations are investigated and addressed by:
- Utah Labor Commission: primary enforcement body for wage disputes, safety, and anti-discrimination.
- Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD): investigates discrimination and wage claims under the Utah Antidiscrimination Act.
- Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division (UOSH): conducts construction site inspections and issues UOSH citations.
- U.S. Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Division (WHD): enforces FLSA minimum wage, overtime, and certified payroll requirements for Utah employers.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): handles federal anti-discrimination complaints.
Further details on other Utah labor laws
Workplace harassment
Utah construction contractors must maintain harassment-free jobsites under both the Utah Antidiscrimination Act and federal Title VII. Harassment based on race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity — verbal, physical, or environmental — that creates a hostile work environment exposes the contractor to state and federal liability.
- Contractors are required to take immediate corrective action when harassment is reported — ignoring a complaint is not a defensible position under Utah law.
- Workers are encouraged to report incidents to their supervisor, the contractor’s HR contact, or directly to the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD).
- Contractors who fail to address or prevent workplace harassment may face civil penalties, reinstatement orders, and back-pay awards enforced by the UALD or the EEOC.
Whistleblower protections
Utah law protects construction workers who report illegal activity or unsafe jobsite conditions from retaliation by their employer. These protections are designed to ensure workers can speak up without risking their job.
- Workers are protected from termination, demotion, reduction in hours, or any other adverse action for reporting violations of state or federal law.
- Retaliation against a whistleblower can result in legal penalties for the contractor — including fines, reinstatement of the worker, and back-pay awards.
- Safety complaints go to UOSH; wage and discrimination complaints go to the Utah Labor Commission or UALD, depending on the nature of the violation.
Workyard’s analysis of 280 contractor discovery calls found that nearly 1 in 3 construction businesses identify labor compliance — including overtime rules, union pay codes, and Utah labor laws — as a primary operational risk.
As Allied Restoration put it: “Missed meal breaks snowball into six-figure class-action exposure.” That is true in Utah, too. No state break law exists, but OSHA construction standards and labor laws that Utah contractors must follow at the federal level still create real liability, and undocumented time records make it harder to defend any dispute.
Workyard gives Utah contractors GPS-verified clock-ins, job-level labor cost tracking, and automated overtime alerts, so a salaried foreman who crosses 40 hours triggers a flag before the pay cycle closes. Workyard exports directly to QuickBooks, ADP, and Sage, eliminating the manual re-entry that causes most overtime calculation errors.
For contractors on federally funded Davis-Bacon jobs, Workyard generates the certified payroll data needed to complete WH-347 forms without building a separate spreadsheet.
Labor regulation compliance is crucial for construction workforce management. Advance your trade efficiency (ex. plumbing) through job management focused on construction project manager needs, integrating with QuickBooks and Paycor.
Every Utah construction worker must be paid at least $7.25 per hour in 2026 — the federal minimum under the FLSA, locked to it by Utah Code § 34-40-103 with no state increase scheduled. The Utah minimum wage applies equally in Salt Lake City, Provo, and every other municipality. Crew members who receive tips earn $2.13/hour in cash wages, with tips covering the difference to $7.25/hour. New hires under 20 may be paid a $4.25/hour training wage for their first 90 consecutive calendar days.
Utah construction crews earn 1.5x their regular rate for every hour over 40 in a workweek. That is the FLSA standard and the only overtime rule that applies in Utah.
Utah overtime laws set no daily overtime threshold; a framer who works a 12-hour day does not trigger overtime unless the weekly total clears 40 hours. Salaried foremen and project managers are only exempt if they earn more than $684/week ($35,568/year) and meet the EAP duties test.
The DOL’s 2024 rule that would have raised that threshold to $1,128/week was vacated on November 15, 2024, and has not been replaced.
Utah has no state break law for adult workers. A general contractor or electrical subcontractor is not required to schedule a lunch break or paid rest period under Utah state law.
Utah labor laws on breaks for adults stop at the state line — federal OSHA picks up from there. Utah construction sites are still governed by OSHA’s heat illness prevention standards (29 C.F.R. Part 1926), which impose safety-driven rest, shade, and water requirements on job sites regardless of state law. Workers under 18 receive a 30-minute unpaid meal break after five consecutive hours and one paid 10-minute rest break for every three hours worked.
Workers under 14 cannot work on Utah construction sites. Workers aged 14–15 are limited to non-hazardous jobs with capped hours: 4 hours on school days, 8 on non-school days, 40 per week, and no work before 5 a.m. or after 9:30 p.m. Workers aged 16–17 have no hour limits but remain barred from hazardous occupations — roofing, demolition, heavy machinery, excavation, and electrical work.
Since HB 19 (effective May 7, 2025), child labor violations carry graduated misdemeanor or felony charges under Utah Code § 34-23-402.
A Utah contractor who terminates a crew member, including at the end of a project, must issue the final paycheck within 24 hours of termination under the Utah Payment of Wages Act (Utah Code § 34-28). Utah final paycheck law has no grace period for terminations. For workers who resign, the deadline is the next regular payday or within 10 days, whichever is sooner. Accrued vacation must be paid out only if company policy or the employment contract requires it.
Utah right to work law means no worker on a Utah jobsite can be required to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. This applies to open-shop and union contractors alike. The December 2025 repeal of HB 267 restored collective bargaining rights for public sector employees only — private sector rules are unchanged.
Utah contractors cannot discriminate against crew members or job applicants in hiring, promotion, or termination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability, or genetic information. The Utah Antidiscrimination Act (Utah Code Title 34A, Chapter 5) adds state-level enforcement for employers with 15 or more workers. SB 86 (signed March 26, 2025) expanded the sexual harassment definition to explicitly include harassment based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. File complaints with the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division (UALD) or the EEOC.
Utah has no state prevailing wage law, but any Utah contractor working on a federally funded project must comply with the federal Davis-Bacon Act — paying DOL-determined wage rates by trade and county, submitting certified payroll on WH-347 forms weekly, classifying workers correctly by craft, and using apprentices only in approved ratios. Wage determinations are available at SAM.gov/wage.
Utah contractors must retain pre-employment records for one year; wage, hour, and personnel records for three years; OSHA injury logs for five years; post-employment and COBRA records for six years; and hazardous substance exposure records and Safety Data Sheets for 30 years. OSHA 300A summaries must be posted on site from February 1 through April 30 each year.
Utah labor laws impose fines on multiple fronts: minimum wage violations run up to $500 per violation plus back wages; FLSA overtime violations up to $1,000 per infraction plus unpaid overtime; UOSH serious safety violations up to $16,131 per citation; UOSH willful or repeat violations up to $161,323 per occurrence (HB 50, effective May 7, 2025); and child labor violations now carry misdemeanor or felony charges under Utah Code § 34-23-402 (HB 19, effective May 7, 2025). The Utah Labor Commission, UALD, UOSH, and the DOL Wage and Hour Division all have independent enforcement authority.
