Policy Matters Ohio
01/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/08/2025 14:31
Pay Stub Protection Act a win for working people
Pay Stub Protection Act a win for working people
Posted January 08, 2025 in Press Releases
Gov. DeWine today signed the Pay Stub Protection Act, requiring Ohio employers to provide every employee with a pay stub. Ohio had been one of only seven states in the nation that did not require employers to do so. The new law will make it easier for employees to identify errors in their pay and provide evidence of wage theft, among other benefits.
"Providing a pay stub is a simple way for employers to be transparent with their employees, so workers can confirm they are being paid correctly for all the hours they work," said Policy Matters researcher Heather Smith. "Pay stubs also help workers keep tabs on their tax withholdings, understand their classification as an employee or contractor, and in some cases, clarify who is their official employer."
The new law was also praised by Claudia Cortez, Director of Programs at Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC), a nonprofit that advocates with low-wage and immigrant workers in Central Ohio. "Every day we assist workers with wage theft cases, and often they don't have the protection of a pay stub," Cortez said. "This law makes it harder for shady employers to take advantage of workers, and easier for workers to fight back."
Policy Matters has long advocated for a pay-stub requirement, starting in 2020 with a report on the need for such legislation and subsequent testimony in support of the late State Representative Brigid Kelly's initial proposal. While that bill never got voted out of committee, legislators made another attempt the following year, again with proponent testimony from Policy Matters. Finally, in December, Smith testified before the Senate's Small Business and Economic Opportunity Committee in support of HB 106, which ultimately became the new law.
"It can be easy to overlook the value of something as common and simple as a pay stub," said Policy Matters Executive Director Hannah Halbert. "But when you consider how many Ohioans are going to benefit from this and how long people have been fighting for this basic protection, the value is clear. Representative Kelly always understood how valuable the right to a paystub is for workers. We celebrate her legacy, appreciate Senator Lang for moving the bill out of committee, and thank Representatives Jarrells and Lipps, who carried this across the finish line. The Pay Stub Protection Act is a policy win for Ohio."