March 2015

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently revised their recordkeeping rule by updating the list of industries that are exempt from routinely keeping injury and illness records, and adding additional injuries to report. Employers under the Federal OSHA’s jurisdiction are now required to report all work-related fatalities within eight hours, all work-related inpatient Read more

Starting April 1, 2015, the minimum wage rate in Nova Scotia will increase to $10.60 per hour. The minimum wage rate for inexperienced workers will increase to $10.10 per hour. The increase is based on a two percent increase in the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2014. There are a growing number of provinces Read more

In the last three years, Puerto Rico enacted two laws that extended protections against employment discrimination available under Act No. 100 of June 30, 1959 to employees based on their military status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In May 29, 2013, Puerto Rico’s government passed Law 22. This law makes it illegal to discriminate on Read more

The California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) has approved Amendments to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) Regulations, which will take effect July 1, 2015. The CFRA allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks leave in any 12-month period for personal or family illness or to bond with a child. The CFRA covers Read more

An alliance between Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and the Michigan Laborers’ Training and Apprenticeship (MLTAI) was first formed in 2011. The goal of the formal alliance was to provide its members with information regarding workplace health and safety. The alliance currently focuses on individuals who work on energy distribution, renewable energy, home Read more

Soon, Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance will go into effect establishing the minimum wage rate for work performed in Seattle, as follows: $11.00 per hour minimum wage rate for employees of small employers (businesses with 500 or fewer employees in the United States), or $10.00 per hour plus tips and/or health benefits $11.00 per hour for Read more

The state of New York increased the general minimum wage rate in a series of three annual increments starting in 2013; as a result, a Wage Board was appointed to investigate and recommend any changes to service employees’ minimum wage. On February 24, 2015, the Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Labor adopted Read more

Summer is just around the corner and already employers are planning for the arrival of unpaid interns to join their workplace ranks. As defined under federal, state and local law, the term “unpaid intern” generally refers to a closely supervised individual who works for an employer on a temporary basis and the work provides training Read more