Despite compliance requirements for timely final pay and paid voting leave, the labor and employment legal landscape in Kansas largely prioritizes employer flexibility. Anchored by right-to-work protections, the state’s limited mandates range from rest and break times to pay transparency standards.
When it comes to talent and workforce management, Kansas-based employers need to comply with the following state employment laws:
The below information was last updated September 9, 2025. It is not intended as legal advice. Also, unless otherwise noted below, the following laws predominantly apply to the private sector.
A subset of employment law, labor law focuses on the relationships between employers, employees, and labor unions, particularly in the context of collective bargaining and workplace rights.
Central to US labor law is the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which protects employees’ rights to organize, join unions, and negotiate working conditions while restricting unfair labor practices. Still, states can enact additional laws, such as Right-to-Work statutes, that influence union membership and dues requirements.
Right-to-work states prohibit employers from requiring union membership or dues as a condition of employment (a.k.a. union security agreements).
Kansas is one of 26 states that currently have right-to-work laws.
Employment law governs the individual rights of employees and their professional relationship with their employers, such as working hours, fair wages, anti-discrimination protections, and workplace safety.
| Kansas Minimum Wage | The state of Kansas mirrors the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25, including the tipped minimum wage rate of $2.13 for employees who earn tips with their base pay. |
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Kansas Overtime Pay Laws |
Kansas doesn't currently have any overtime pay laws or regulations. However, Kansas-based employers must still comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) requirement that nonexempt employees receive 1.5 times their normal rate of pay when working over 40 hours a week. |
| Kansas Pay Equity Law | Kansas does not have a state pay equity law, however, Kansas employers are still required to comply with the federal Equal Pay Act (EPA), which prohibits sex-based wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform substantially equal work. This means that employers in Kansas must ensure that men and women are paid equally for performing jobs that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility under similar working conditions. |
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Kansas Pay Transparency Law |
Kansas currently has no pay transparency laws or regulations. |
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Kansas Final Paycheck Law |
In Kansas, employees who voluntarily resign from a job or are involuntarily terminated must receive their final paycheck by the next regular payday. |
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Kansas PTO Payout Laws |
Kansas doesn’t have specific PTO payout requirements, as it bases such decisions on an employer's policy. It does, however, allow the use of "use-it-or-lose-it" policies. |
| Kansas Paid Sick Leave (PSL) | Kansas currently has no paid sick leave laws or regulations. |
| Kansas currently has no PFML laws or regulations. However, employers with 50 or more employees must still comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave every 12 months for various reasons. | |
| Kansas Maternity Leave | Kansas doesn't have a maternity leave law, as this type of leave is an employer-provided benefit. Since the state also doesn’t have a mandated PFML program, employees must instead use FMLA leave or another type of employer-provided leave. |
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Kansas Voting Leave Law |
Under Kansas's state voting leave law, employers must only provide employees with up to two hours of paid leave to vote if the polls are open before commencing work or terminating work, but the period of time the polls are open is less than two consecutive hours. Furthermore, the employer may specify the particular time during the day that the employee may take leave, except that the time may not be during the regular lunch period. |
All states must comply with federal health and safety standards overseen by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
While some states adopt additional health and safety regulations, Kansas is an "OSHA plan" state, meaning it defers to OSHA's requirements when addressing health and safety matters, such as having an emergency action plan or providing medical and first aid supplies.
Kansas currently has no work break laws or regulations.
As described by the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and enforced by the Kansas Human Rights Commission, employers in Kansas are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on:
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Kansas also requires employers to comply with specific anti-harassment mandates, also outlined in the Act Against Discrimination. Employers must, for example, prohibit harassment based on protected characteristics that create a hostile work environment.
Kansas doesn't, however, require employees to complete any harassment or discrimination training courses.
| Kansas Non-Compete Agreement Laws | Kansas is one of several states that limit the use of non-compete agreements. The Kansas Restraint of Trade Act amendments (effective July 1, 2025) limit non-compete agreements so that they may not be overbroad or otherwise unreasonably necessary to protect a business interest of the business entity seeking enforcement of the non-compete. |
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Kansas Retirement Plan Laws |
Kansas currently has no mandatory retirement plan laws or regulations. |
This information is provided as a courtesy and may be updated at any time. It is not intended as legal guidance. If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to seek the advice of a qualified employment or labor attorney or advisor.
Between constantly changing employment laws and updates to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), keeping your workplace compliant can be a time-consuming and costly challenge. Eliminate the stress and stay up to date with our Compliance Dashboard. View compliance alerts and get a bird’s eye view of what you need to do to avoid fines and penalties.
