• Arkansas labor laws protect employees in the workplace.factory image by Kim Jones from Fotolia.com
  
  Arkansas labor laws are overseen and enforced by the Arkansas Department of Labor. Alabama state labor laws cover areas such as child labor, overtime and employee rights. Knowing these laws is important for employees as the first step toward insisting upon their rights when they feel that those rights are being violated. Employers should also acquaint themselves with relevant laws, as infractions come with pricey fees and fines.
  
  

Child Labor

• Arkansas has a variety of laws restricting the use of child labor. High school graduates and married minors over the age of 16 are exemp from these laws. Fines run as high as $1,000 for each individual infraction.
  
  Children under the age of 14 may not work in Arkansas. The only exception for this is that minors of this age may work during summer vacation in businesses owned or managed by their parents. Minors under the age of 16 may not work more than six days in a week, nor more than eight hours in a day, nor more than 48 hours in a single workweek. They also may not work between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m, except during summer vacation when they may work as late as 9 p.m. Minors over the age of 16 may not work more than six days a week, nor over 54 hours in a week, nor more than 10 hours in a day. Additionally, they are prohibited from working between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights.
  
  

Overtime

• Employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek are entitled to overtime pay, according to Arkansas labor laws. Overtime pay is defined as pay one-and-a-half times the normal rate of pay. Public employees (though not those in the private sector) may be paid compensatory time (additional time off) in lieu of overtime wages.
  
  

Termination

• Arkansas is an "at will" state, meaning that employers may terminate employees for any legal reason. Illegal reasons for terminating employees include discrimination based on sex, gender, national origin or religion, as well as punitive termination for reporting violations of labor laws or refusing to violate labor laws. Following termination, outstanding wages must be paid on the next regular payday, however employees can request that all outstanding wages be paid in the next seven days.
  
  

Breaks

• Breaks are not mandated by Arkansas state labor laws. However, there are some laws pertaining to breaks. Employees must be relieved of all duties for breaks that take place off the clock. Further, employees must be paid for all breaks less than 20 minutes long.