Oregon’s minimum wage rate will increase to $9.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2014. That is a 15-cent increase over the 2013 minimum wage rate, currently $8.95 per hour. Oregon is one of ten states that annually adjust their minimum wage rates based on inflation and the Consumer Price Index. Since August 2012, there has Read more
OSHA has revised the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), changing the way information about chemicals in the workplace is communicated to workers. The new standard is based on the international Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Compliance with the new HCS is mandatory for all businesses that regularly handle, store, and use Read more
New Jersey is the latest state to adopt an employee social media privacy law. Under the law, employers are prohibited from: requiring or requesting a current or prospective employee disclose their user name or password, or in any way provide the employer access to, a personal electronic account, requiring or requesting an employee or applicant Read more
Effective July 1, 2013, Hawaii Employment Practices Law was amended to require an employer allow an employee reasonable break time to express breast milk for one year after her child’s birth each time the employee has a need. Under the law, employers must also provide the employee with a location, other than a restroom, shielded Read more
Many employers perform background checks on prospective employees as part of the hiring process. Employers view criminal background and credit checks in particular as important screening tools for hiring qualified workers. Although there is no federal law prohibiting the use of criminal or credit history by an employer, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has Read more
This summer, Oregon passed a new law (HB 2669) that entitles unpaid interns to many of the same workplace protections as their employee counterparts. Under the law interns are protected from sexual harassment; discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status or age; and retaliation for whistle-blowing, among other things. Read more
Illinois is cracking down on employers in the construction industry that misclassify workers. Employee misclassification laws are aimed at employers that misclassify workers as independent contractors in an attempt to avoid paying payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation premiums and overtime payments. Two new Illinois laws expand employer liability and increase reporting requirements. The Read more
North Carolina has released a new unemployment insurance workplace posting. Employers covered by the Employment Security Law of North Carolina are required to post the “Certificate of Coverage and Notice to Workers as to Benefit Rights.” The notice describes workers’ rights in the event of partial unemployment or job loss. An employee whose work hours Read more
Beginning Nov. 1, 2013, the City of Seattle will limit employers’ ability to use criminal history information in hiring and employment decisions. Key provisions of a new ordinance (No. 124201) include: Initial screening: During the initial screening process, employers cannot perform a criminal background check or ask about an applicant’s criminal history, even on a Read more
Currently, individuals who have valid Oklahoma handgun licenses have the right to carry a handgun, concealed or unconcealed (“open carry”), in many public locations. However, property owners, employers or business entities can choose not to allow firearms or weapons without having to post a sign forbidding them. Come November 1, 2013, the sign requirement will Read more
