While federal law governs certain aspects of how employers must treat their workers, state law is far more important in assessing employee rights. And state employment laws vary dramatically from state to state. Understanding a state’s employment laws can be important, especially when considering moving to another state to take a job.
States With the Strictest Employment Laws
Assessing how strict a state’s overall employment laws are can be tricky because employment law is a large umbrella that covers many aspects of the employer/employee relationship. But when weighing everything in the balance, four states – well, three states and one district – stand above the rest. California, Oregon, New York and the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) have the strictest employment laws.
California
California profiles as a state with strict employment laws in all categories. Workers are entitled to a high minimum wage and have other favorable wage policies, and California also has one of the strictest sets of worker protections in the nation. California is also a state that protects its workers’ right to organize.
Oregon
Oregon makes the list of states with the strictest employment laws largely because it offers the most stringent set of worker protection laws in the country. Oregon’s wage policies aren’t quite as favorable to employees as the other three entries but are still above average. Like California, Oregon protects its workers’ right to organize.
New York
New York’s place on this list is driven by strict employment law across the board, similar but slightly less strict than California in most areas. With a high minimum wage, comprehensive worker protection laws and protection of the right to organize, New York is one of the strictest states for employment laws.
Washington DC
The District of Columbia features what is likely the strictest set of employment laws in the nation, highlighted by wage policies and a minimum wage that surpasses all states. While Washington, DC’s worker protection may not be quite as stringent as the first three states, they are quite strict and comprehensive. And like California, Oregon and New York, Washington, DC protects its workers’ right to organize.
Other States with Strict Employment Laws
While those three states and one district have the strictest employment laws, a handful of other states come close to being as strict. The next tier of states includes Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut. All these states offer strict employment laws, if not quite so comprehensive as the states and district in the highest tier.
Washington
When it comes to wage policies and worker protections, Washington is comparable to states like California and New York. In 2025, the state minimum wage was raised to $16.66, the second highest in the country. However, Washington does put some restrictions on its workers’ right to organize.
Illinois
Illinois features fairly strict wage policies and worker protections, though looser than the above states and district. It also protects its workers’ right to organize, with a few minor restrictions.
New Jersey
New Jersey has strict wage policies, though its worker protections are more in line with those of Illinois, a step below the strictest states in that regard. New Jersey also allows workers to organize with a handful of restrictions.
Massachusetts and Connecticut
Massachusetts and Connecticut are fairly similar when it comes to the strictness of their employment laws. Both offer strict wage policies and generous worker protections, though not quite as expansive as states like California or Oregon. Each protects its workers’ right to organize with a few restrictions, with Connecticut being the state that has the most restrictions on the right to organize.
Beyond those eight states and one district, there is still a wide range when it comes to how strict employment laws are from state to state. But these nine stand at the top as the strictest and most comprehensive.