On January 1, 2017, Vermont will become the fifth state to require employers to provide employees with paid sick leave, following Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Vermont ‘s paid sick leave law will eventually provide employees with five days (40 hours) of paid sick leave per year, but employers will have plenty of time to prepare Read more
The state of Utah may be the next state to enact a law requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees whose ability to perform their job functions is limited by pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. Bill S.B. 59 is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. If passed, employers with 15 or more employees working within Read more
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Council has issued proposed regulations on the use of criminal history information in making employment decisions and is giving the interested public until April 7, 2016 to give their feedback. Presently, California law (Labor Code §§432.7, 432.8) prohibits an employer from asking about or considering the following types of criminal Read more
On March 15, 2016, the Manitoba government amended the Employment Standards Code to give victims of domestic violence the right to time off work. As stated by the Labour and Immigration Minister Ema Braun, the legislation will make sure victims have financial security, job protection and flexibility to take time off to recover from violence. Read more
In 2014, Hawaii’s legislature sanctioned the use of two widely used methods for the payment of employee wages – direct deposit and pay cards. Approximately eighty-five per cent of all employees in Hawaii are paid by direct deposit and approximately fourteen thousand employees in Hawaii receive their wages by pay cards. Given their widespread use, Read more
On September 7, 2015, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13706 (EO) requiring that certain federal contractors provide their employees with up to seven days of paid sick leave per year, including paid leave allowing for family care. Accordingly, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has announced a Proposed Rule to implement the EO. The public Read more
New Jersey employers may soon be subject to a new law concerning equal pay and employment discrimination. Bill S. 992 has recently been passed during the current legislative session by the assembly and is awaiting approval from Governor Chris Christie. If signed by the Governor, the enacted bill would amend current law, including the Law Read more
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) regulations and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) regulations. As part of employers’ responsibilities under both amended regulations, employers are required to post two new workplace notices – Paid Disability Leave (PDL) and California Family Rights Act Read more
The New York Breastfeeding Mothers’ Bill of Rights has been recently amended as a result of enacted Bill NY A 7202. The law, which became effective January 1, 2016, provides additional rights to breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. Mothers now have the right to take reasonable unpaid breaks at work so they can pump breast milk Read more
To help create awareness on human trafficking, the state of Florida has enacted Bill H 369. The new law, which became effective January 1, 2016, requires certain employers to post a human trafficking awareness notice in a conspicuous place (Florida Statutes, Section 787.29). The poster must be at least 8.5 inches by 11 inches in Read more
