Iowa employment law compliance requirements

Employers with four or more employees must provide up to eight weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for temporary disabilities related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions if such leave is not otherwise provided by an employer's policy or under federal FMLA.

Iowa Code § 216.6(2)(e) · effective Jul 1987 · source

Employers must provide employees who are registered voters with up to two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote on election day if they do not have two consecutive hours of non-work time while the polls are open.

Iowa Code § 49.109 · effective Jun 2021 · source

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII.

42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 · effective Jan 2020

Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. · effective Jan 2020

WARN notices must include: whether closing/layoff is permanent or temporary, expected date, whether bumping rights exist, name/contact for company representative.

29 U.S.C. § 2102 · effective Jan 2020

Applicable Large Employers (50+ full-time and full-time-equivalent employees) must offer affordable, minimum-value health coverage to full-time employees and their dependents or risk an employer shared responsibility payment.

26 U.S.C. § 4980H · effective Jan 2015

Agreement must advise employee to consult with attorney

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(E) · effective Oct 1990

Eligible employees entitled to 12 weeks unpaid leave

29 U.S.C. § 2612(a)(1) · effective Aug 1993

Employers must maintain anti-harassment policies

42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 · effective Jul 1964

Iowa's mini-WARN law requires employers with 25 or more full-time employees to provide 30 days' advance written notice before a business closing or mass layoff. Notice must be served to affected employees, their representatives, and the Iowa Department of Workforce Development. This threshold is significantly lower than the federal WARN Act threshold of 100 employees.

Iowa Code § 84C.3 · effective Mar 2010 · source

Employers must provide 60 days advance notice of plant closings (50+ employees) or mass layoffs (500+ or 50-499 if 33% of workforce).

29 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq. · effective Jan 2020

60 days advance notice for plant closings and mass layoffs

29 U.S.C. § 2102 · effective Feb 1989

Iowa law requires employers to pay a terminated employee all wages earned by the next regular payday. This rule applies to employees who are discharged, suspended, laid off, or who voluntarily resign. Payment must be made through the normal channels or as agreed upon by the parties.

Iowa Code § 91A.4 · effective Jul 1975 · source

Employees 40+ must be given 21 days to consider individual severance agreements

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(F)(i) · effective Oct 1990

Employees 40+ in group terminations must be given 45 days to consider

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(F)(ii) · effective Oct 1990

Employers must allow current and former employees, or their designated representatives, to access and obtain copies of their personnel files upon request.

Iowa Code § 91B.1 · effective Jul 1990 · source

Iowa employers must notify employees in writing at the time of hiring of their rate of pay, regular paydays, and any subsequent changes prior to the change. Employers must also provide an itemized statement of earnings with each paycheck. These records must be maintained by the employer in accordance with state law.

Iowa Code § 91A.6 · effective Jul 1975 · source

Group terminations must disclose job titles and ages of affected employees

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(H) · effective Oct 1990

Employees 40+ must be given 21 days to consider a separation agreement that includes a release of age discrimination claims.

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(F) · effective Jan 2020

In group terminations, employees 40+ must be given 45 days to consider a separation agreement.

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(H) · effective Jan 2020

Applicable Large Employers (50+ full-time and full-time-equivalent employees) must file annual information returns (Forms 1094-C and 1095-C) with the IRS and furnish Form 1095-C to each full-time employee.

26 U.S.C. § 6056 · effective Jan 2015

Private employers with 100 or more employees (and certain federal contractors with 50 or more) must annually file the EEO-1 Component 1 Report with the EEOC, reporting workforce demographic data by job category, sex, race, and ethnicity.

42 U.S.C. § 2000e-8(c) · effective Jan 1966

Iowa allows employers to pay tipped employees a lower cash wage of $4.35 per hour, provided the employee's tips plus cash wage equal at least the state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. If the combined amount does not meet the minimum wage, the employer must pay the difference. This rate is established under state law and differs from the federal tipped minimum wage.

Iowa Code § 91D.1(1)(d) · effective Jan 2008 · source

Federal minimum wage rate

29 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1) · effective Jul 2009

Iowa employers who conduct drug or alcohol testing must adopt a detailed written policy and distribute it to all employees. Additionally, supervisors involved in drug testing decisions must complete at least two hours of initial training and one hour of annual recurrent training. Failure to strictly comply with these statutory requirements can result in civil liability for the employer.

Iowa Code § 730.5 · effective Apr 1998 · source

Employees 40+ must have 7 days to revoke after signing

29 U.S.C. § 626(f)(1)(G) · effective Oct 1990

Overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek

29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1) · effective Oct 1938

Iowa law requires employers to provide a 30-minute duty-free meal period to employees under the age of 16 who are scheduled to work 5 or more consecutive hours. This break must be documented in the employer's records. There are no state-mandated meal or rest breaks for employees aged 16 and older.

Iowa Code § 92.7 · effective Jul 2023 · source