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| Plumbing Contractor news in West Virginia |
| Contractor Information |
| If you hold a WV contractor license, these are some requirements you should know. If you have questions about these or other related topics, contact the WV Division of Labor at (304) 558-7890. |
 The contractor license number must appear in all advertisements and on all contracts. |
| The license must be posted in a “conspicuous position” at construction sites. |
| No license may be used by any person other than the person to whom the license is issued. |
| Local building permits cannot be issued to any contractor who does not possess a valid license if the total cost of a job is $2,500 or more. |
| If a license is renewed more than 15 days after the expiration date, a $25 penalty fee is charged in addition to the annual $90 renewal charge. |
| A license which has lapsed for 90 days or more cannot be renewed. |
| No persons licensed under the provisions of this Code may perform contracting work of an aggregate value of ten thousand dollars or more, including materials and labor, without a written contract setting forth a description and cost of the work to be performed, signed by the licensee and the person for whom the work is to be performed. |
| Minimum Wage |
The West Virginia minimum wage was increased to $7.25 per hour on July 1, 2008. As of July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage goes up $7.25 to match the state requirement. Even though the minimum wage requirement will now be the same under both state and federal law, many other issues that are addressed under both statutes will remain in conflict. That means employers and employees will still find it necessary to determine whether or not they are covered under the state or federal minimum wage requirements. The following guidelines are intended to assist you in making that determination:
Does your company (or employer) gross over $500,000.00 annually?
Is your company (or employer) engaged in interstate commerce?
If the answer to either of the above questions is yes, then your company (employer) is covered under the jurisdiction of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and any questions you have relating to the requirements of that Act should be addressed to the US Department of Labor. You may also visit their website at www.dol.gov for information.
Even if you answered no to the above questions, you may still be covered under the federal requirements by virtue of the 80% rule exclusion cited in the definition of employer {§21-5C-1(e)} in the West Virginia statute. That provision specifically excludes employees that are “individually” engaged in interstate commerce in their daily employment activities from being covered under state law.
Click here for Determining State Coverage and the 80% Rule
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| Break Requirements |
In the past, employers in WV did not always allow workers a chance to eat lunch or to take a break from their daily work routine.
In 1994, the State Legislature approved and enacted Article 3. Safety and Welfare of Employees, (21-3-10a Meal Breaks). This section of the WV State Code states that “During the course of a workday of six or more hours, all employers shall make available at least twenty minutes for meal breaks, at times reasonably designated by the employer. This provision shall be required in all situations where employees are not afforded necessary breaks and/or permitted to eat while working.”
Title 42, Series 8 states under the Minimum Wage and Maximum hour standards (42-5-2. Definitions, 2.6), states that “Rest periods of short duration, running from (5) to (20) minutes, must counted as hours worked.”
Additionally, Title 42, Series 5 of the Wage Payment and Collection Act, states that …”when authorized by an employer, break periods and or rest periods which do not exceed (20) minutes duration must be counted as hours worked.”
Article 6, Child Labor Law (21-6-7) states that “No child under the age of sixteen years shall be employed or permitted to work for more than five hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty minutes for a lunch period, and no period of less than thirty minutes shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to interrupt a continuous period of work. |
| Child Labor |
For teenagers who want to work, the Child Labor Law (WV Code ß 21-6) requires that minors 14 and 15 years of age obtain work permits, and those 16 and 17 years of age (upon request of the employer) obtain age certificates from the Boards of Education in the counties in which they live.
A copy of the permit or certificate is forwarded to the Division of Labor who is charged with the responsibility of assuring the minor is not working in an unsafe environment or performing duties not suitable to their age.
Click here for Application for Work Permit and/or Age Certificate
Click here for Supervision Permit Form
Click here for Age Specific Guidelines
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