In California, employees in the computer software field (“computer professionals”) may be exempt from the state overtime requirements and other protections granted to non-exempt workers, such as reporting time pay and mandatory meal and rest breaks. There are two tests that must be met before an employee is considered an exempt computer professional, one of Read more
This term, the US Supreme Court will consider a case that will determine whether government workers who choose not to join a union can refuse to pay the union’s “agency fees.” The case is Janus v. AFSCME. At issue are so-called agency fees – or “fair share” fees – the money unions charge non-union workers Read more
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
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
Employers can soon expect more descriptive guidance from the US Department of Labor (DOL). The agency has decided to bring back the “Opinion Letter,” a form of fact-specific guidance which it stopped issuing in 2010. An Opinion Letter is an official, written opinion of how a particular law, usually the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Read more
Benefits of Providing Lactation Accommodation in the Workplace It is well-established that breastfeeding promotes the health and well-being of working mothers and their babies. Breastfed babies and their mothers have reduced risks for many illnesses and diseases. Healthier babies and moms mean a lower health care burden on the national economy. In fact, one study Read more
Earlier this year, we reported on Seattle, Washington’s adoption of a new Secure Scheduling law which requires employers to provide employees of large retailers and food service establishments who work within Seattle city limits with an estimate of hours the employee can expect to work per week for the upcoming year, to post work schedules Read more
California employers have the nation’s highest workers’ compensation burden with an average cost of 3.24 percent of payroll for workers’ compensation insurance, 76 percent above the national average. One factor in those costs is what officials say is an enormous amount of fraud. In California, it is estimated that workers’ compensation fraud costs between $1 Read more
Combating the Wage Gap from Different Angles To address the gender wage gap and other pay inequities in the workplace, more states and even some cities have taken affirmative measures aimed at eliminating pay differentials on the basis of sex. In some cases, these measures apply to other protected groups as well. Some of the Read more
