The New Hampshire
Labor Law Guide

Minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate that employers are legally obligated to pay employees. The federal minimum wage is a wage baseline, but different states, cities, and regions can adopt their own rates. 

$7.25 per hour for most employees (as of 2024)

New Hampshire is aligned with the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour. Local cities generally tend to follow this wage amount, rates may differ for workers in the hospitality and service industries.

→ Learn more about Deputy's labor law compliance software

Tipped minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate employers are legally obligated to pay employees who earn a significant portion of their income through tips. 

$3.27 for most tipped employees (as of 2024)

New Hampshire does not have its own overtime laws. Employers must follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires non-exempt employees to receive paid time and a half for every hour worked over 40 hours within a workweek.

Under New Hampshire wage and hour laws, employers generally cannot require that an employee work more than five consecutive hours without granting a thirty-minute lunch or eating period. If the employer cannot allow thirty minutes, the employee must be paid if they are eating and working simultaneously. 

Employers must also allow employees to take at least 24 consecutive hours off from work every seven days.

→ Find out how Deputy can help you simplify meal and rest break compliance

Vacation leave
New Hampshire does not require employers to provide paid time off to their employees. The employer can choose to offer vacation leave at their discretion. 

Paid Sick Leave
New Hampshire has no state laws requiring private employers to provide paid or unpack sick leave.

Holidays
New Hampshire does not require employers to provide paid or unpaid holiday leave, except for Veterans Day.

→ Learn more about Deputy's leave management software

The minimum age to work is 16 for non-agriculture jobs. However, minors 14-15 can work under certain conditions. Minors 14-17 must have a work permit issued by their school before starting a job. They must be paid at least the federal minimum wage and any applicable overtime laws.

Specific laws for minors 14-15 years old:

• Can work in retail and food service jobs. 

• Can work up to 3 hours a day and 18 hours a week when school is in session (May not work before 7AM or after 7PM).

• Can work up to 8 hours and 40 hours a week during school breaks (May not work before 7AM or after 9PM). 

Specific laws for minors 16-17 years old:

• Minors in this age group can work on a broader range of job options. However, they cannot work in hazardous occupations.

• Can work up to 30 hours a week when school is in session.

• Can work up to 48 hours a week during school breaks.

Hiring
The New Hampshire Law Against Discrimination (NHLAD) prohibits hiring discrimination based on the following protected characteristics that include:

• Age

• Sex

• Race

• Disability

The New Hampshire Criminal History Access Law restricts employers from refusing to conduct a background check on conditions of crime, indictments, or records of arrest that are more than 7 years old. 

Firing
New Hampshire employers have the right to terminate employees at will for nearly any reason and no reason at all provided the reason is not unlawful.