In the last three years, Puerto Rico enacted two laws that extended protections against employment discrimination available under Act No. 100 of June 30, 1959 to employees based on their military status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. In May 29, 2013, Puerto Rico’s government passed Law 22. This law makes it illegal to discriminate on Read more
Bloomfield is the ninth New Jersey city to pass a paid sick leave law. Under the new ordinance, effective June 30, 2015, employees working in the city of Bloomfield will start earning one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Employers with 10 or more employees are not required to provide more Read more
An alliance between Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and the Michigan Laborers’ Training and Apprenticeship (MLTAI) was first formed in 2011. The goal of the formal alliance was to provide its members with information regarding workplace health and safety. The alliance currently focuses on individuals who work on energy distribution, renewable energy, home Read more
The state of New York increased the general minimum wage rate in a series of three annual increments starting in 2013; as a result, a Wage Board was appointed to investigate and recommend any changes to service employees’ minimum wage. On February 24, 2015, the Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Labor adopted Read more
Minnesota’s Bill H 1093, introduced on February 19th, proposes numerous changes to Minnesota’s employment provisions. The bill also known as “Working Parent Act,” covers employee rest and meal breaks, fair scheduling, and earned sick and safe time. Under the proposed bill, employees must get a 10 minute break for every four hours worked. An employer must Read more
Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal has signed an executive order on February 23, 2015, implementing a “ban the box” hiring policy. Similar to the policies adopted by other states across the country, Georgia’s policy was implemented to provide individuals with a criminal record a fair chance to apply to job positions. Under the policy, job applicants Read more
To ensure and promote workplace safety, the Maine Department of Labor is offering once again free safety classes in the month of March. The courses will be held at the SafetyWorks! Training Institution in Augusta. According to SafetyWorks! the program trains approximately 8,000 individuals annually. The program which provides consultation and enforcement services, is offering Read more
In Gibbs v. City of New York, the New York Federal Court has found that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to pay their employees for attending mandatory alcohol counseling and treatment sessions to keep their jobs. The case involved two New York Police Department employees that sued the police department Read more
Like several cities across the country, Philadelphia is the latest city to pass a paid sick leave bill. Philadelphia’s mayor Michael Nutter signed into law, the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces Ordinance on February 12, 2015. The bill becomes effective May 13, 2015. Under the Ordinance, employees employed by an employer who work within the Read more
Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor has recently revised its workers’ compensation notice posting. By law, all Pennsylvania employers are required to post this notice (LIBC-500) in a prominent and easily accessible location in the workplace. The posting includes the name, address and telephone number of the insurer or other appropriate party to contact regarding workers’ compensation Read more
