November 2015

Elizabeth is the latest New Jersey city to pass a paid sick leave ordinance. The new law that will require private employers to provide sick time to employees was approved by Elizabeth voters on November 3, 2015. The city has not released a copy of the Ordinance, but it is very likely that it will Read more

With the New Year approaching, it’s that time again to be in compliance by replacing outdated postings. States with yearly minimum wage assessments tied to increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and states with enacted legislation that increases the minimum wage over a span of several years have released the minimum wage rates for Read more

Earlier this month President Obama signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (Budget Act). Among other things, the act provides for mandatory increases in the penalties for violations of standards established under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The act calls for an initial penalty adjustment that will reflect the increase in the Read more

The city of Pittsburgh recently passed the Paid Sick Days Act to provide paid or unpaid sick time to employees working in the City. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide employees with no more than 40 hours of paid sick time in a year. Employers with 15 employees or less must provide employees Read more

Nearly all California employees are now covered by the state’s mandatory Paid Sick Leave law that went into effect last July. The Paid Sick Leave law (Labor Code §245) requires employers to provide employees up to three days of paid sick leave annually. Paid sick leave can be used for the diagnosis, care, or treatment, Read more

During the 2015 legislative session, Texas passed a new law on handgun possession that will become effective January 1, 2016. Under the Open Carry Law, holders of a handgun license may lawfully carry their handguns in an open manner. The unconcealed handguns must be carried in a shoulder or belt holster. Property owners and employers Read more

San Francisco employers will need to take extra care with employee scheduling as they plan for the holidays and the busy shopping days ahead. The retail industry is often characterized by shifts assigned on short notice, scheduling workers with too few hours, treating part-time employees differently than full-time employees, and not compensating on-call employees, creating Read more

In the last few months, fast food workers across the nation have been seen demanding a higher minimum wage rate. In New York, Commissioner of Labor Mario J. Musolino called for a wage board to investigate the wages of fast-food employees. After more than 10 weeks of study and deliberations, the Fast Food Wage Board Read more

On October 27, 2015, the Sacramento City Council approved an Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2015-0036) establishing a city minimum wage rate starting at $10.50 per hour in 2017 and eventually reaching $12.50 an hour by 2020. By comparison, the statewide minimum wage rate is currently $9.00 per hour and increases to $10.00 per hour on January Read more

In 2013, Jersey City became the first New Jersey municipality to pass an Earned Sick Leave Ordinance. Under the law, employers with 10 or more employees are required to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave annually. Employers with less than 10 employees have to provide up to 40 hours of unpaid sick Read more