Last month, Illinois amended its Human Rights Act (IHRA) (775 ILCS 5/) to clarify the protection of employees’ sincerely held religious beliefs in the workplace. Individuals were already protected from discrimination based on religion but the amended statute, known as the “Religious Garb Law” (SB 1697), makes certain protections more explicit. The new law prohibits Read more
Earlier this year, five Canadian provinces increased their minimum wage rates. Now, the other five will follow suit with wage increases to ranging from 15 cents to $1.40. Alberta’s minimum wage workers will see the largest jump as the second in a series of scheduled increases brings the rate towards $15.00 per hour. New Minimum Read more
The US Department of Labor has announced the 2018 minimum wage rate required by Executive Order 13658. The Executive Order (EO) establishes a minimum wage requirement for Federal contractors and subcontractors. Each year, the U.S. Secretary of Labor determines the EO minimum wage rate based on the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Next January, Read more
This was a good year for working moms and their families in Washington State. Over the next two years, Washington is ushering in several new laws that will be particularly beneficial to pregnant workers. Two new leave laws, the Paid Sick Leave law (operative Jan. 1, 2018) and the Paid Family and Medical Leave law Read more
The Connecticut Department of Labor has released a new mandatory workplace poster for employers. During the 2017 legislative session, Governor Dannel Malloy signed H.B. 6668, enhancing existing anti-discrimination protections for pregnant employees. Under the law, which goes into effect October 1, 2017, an employer with more than three employees must provide accommodations for an employee Read more
The Maine Supreme Court began hearings last week to determine whether medical marijuana treatment should be considered reimbursable under a workers’ compensation claim. Although Maine instituted its medical marijuana program in 1999, this is the first time the superior court has addressed how the law interacts with the state‘s workers’ compensation law. Medical marijuana is Read more
Each September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launches the National Preparedness Month campaign. The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of individuals, families, and communities that engage in preparedness for emergencies at home, work, business, school, and place of worship. In the last few weeks, we have seen how devastating natural Read more
Continuing the trend of modernization we’ve seen recently from federal agencies, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has decided to take advantage of the interactivity that the use of online forms makes possible. The agency’s online whistleblower complaint form has been revised to ensure that individuals issuing complaints are aware of their rights and Read more
Nearly a year after a Department of Labor (DOL) Final Rule intended to raise the salary threshold for overtime-exempt status was put on hold before it could go into effect, a federal court has struck the exponential increase down for good. Stating that that the DOL had “gone too far,” the U.S. District Court for Read more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently released a redesigned E-Verify Participation Poster. The poster informs current and prospective employees of their legal rights, responsibilities, and protections in the employment eligibility verification process. The new redesigned poster is now available in English and Spanish as one poster. It includes new text that helps clarify Read more
