Kentuckians earning minimum wage may see an increase in their pay starting this July, if Bill H2 is passed. The current minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour and may increase to $8.20 per hour beginning July 1st, if bill is approved. The bill would also increase the rate to $9.15 per hour on July Read more
The state of Minnesota has introduced a bill that if passed, will provide employees with a pregnancy, parenting and caregiver leave with some level of compensation. Under Bill H 580, an employer with one or more employees will be required to provide a 12-week pregnancy, parenting and caregiver leave. Employees will be eligible for leave Read more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers that handle hazardous chemicals in their workplaces to implement the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) program. The purpose of the program is to ensure hazardous chemicals are classified and safety information is communicated. Just recently, the HCS was modified to adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification Read more
The state of Wisconsin has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Labor to reduce misclassification of employees. The goal is to prevent and reduce the misclassification of independent contractors or other nonemployee statuses by having agencies work together. Under the agreement, state and federal agencies can share resources and information, as well as conduct Read more
Tennessee employers must now add a new procedure to comply with the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law. Upon a workplace injury, employers must provide the injured employee with an Agreement between Employer/Employee Choice of Physician (Form C-42). The form must include a list of at least three physicians, surgeons, chiropractors, or specialty practice groups in the Read more
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed Bill A 08106 on December 29, 2014, amending the New York Wage Theft Prevention Act. As shared in our July 1, 2014 CPC blog, the new law eliminates employer’s annual wage notice requirement. Employers, however, are still required to provide wage notice to employees at time of hire. Read more
On Wednesday, January 7, 2015, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Parental Leave Bill. The new law amends the Maternity Leave Act by extending the eight weeks of job-protected leave for the adoption or birth of a child to a male employee, and expanding on other provisions. Like the Maternity Leave Act, employees are required Read more
As previously shared in our CPC blog, Alaska voters approved proposal to increase their state’s minimum wage rate on Election Day. The measure called for a January 1, 2015 increase, but in accordance with the Alaska Constitution, an initiated law becomes effective ninety days after certification. Alaska’s minimum wage will increase from $7.75 per hour Read more
Florida is the latest state to join the U.S. Department of Labor’s Misclassification Initiative developed to reduce and prevent the practice of misclassification of employees. Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Utah and Washington are other states that have joined their agencies to protect the rights Read more
For the first time in seven years, the minimum wage rate in the state of Massachusetts increased from $8.00 per hour to $9.00 per hour on January 1, 2015. The minimum wage rate increase is the first in a series of three annual increases required by a bill signed in 2014 by Governor Deval Patrick: Read more
