In recent years, there has been a growing interest in removing barriers to employment for qualified individuals with a criminal record as seen by the proliferation of “Ban the Box” laws. Generally, these laws prohibit an employer from requiring a prospective employee to disclose a criminal conviction on a job application or before a conditional Read more
Personal social media accounts can be a pitfall for unwary employees and a temptation for overzealous employers. Often employees reveal information in the social media that employers are prohibited from considering when making hiring or employment-related decisions. For example, employees’ social media posts may disclose protected personal characteristics such as age, health or family status. Read more
For the first time since 2012, British Columbia, Canada, will raise its general minimum wage rate from $10.25 per hour to $10.45 per hour effective September 15, 2015. The Liquor server minimum wage rate, currently $9.00 per hour, will also increase on September 15 to $9.20 per hour. The September minimum wage rates are included Read more
The North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights has released a new Minimum Wage and Work Conditions Summary posting. During North Dakota’s 2015 legislative session, several labor laws were passed, including two laws that caused major revisions on the Minimum Wage and Work Conditions Summary posting. The revised posting includes a new list of Read more
On July 2, 2015, Rhode Island passed Bill H 5674, requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition. Accommodations may include: More frequent or longer breaks, Time off to recover from childbirth, Acquisition or modification of equipment for sitting, Temporary transfers to less strenuous Read more
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protects employees from discrimination on the basis of an employee’s race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status. Further, the law prohibits retaliation against Read more
On May 21, 2015, Governor Rick Scott signed Bill 982 into a law, making it unlawful for employers to discriminate against individuals on the basis of pregnancy. Effective July 1, 2015, employers cannot discharge, refuse to hire, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of Read more
The topic of gender identity has been the subject of both media and legislative attention recently. In the workplace, discrimination is a major contributor to the especially high rates of unemployment and underemployment faced by transgender people. These workers are often fired, paid less or harassed because of who they are. So it is not Read more
On March 12, 2015, Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed into law Bill S 296 outlawing employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Under the law, employers with 15 or more employees may not refuse to hire, promote, discharge, demote, or terminate a person or retaliate against, harass, or discriminate against a person because Read more
On April 13, 2015, the governor of Nebraska signed a bill (L 627) relating to pregnancy under the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act. Beginning September, employers with 15 employees or more will be required to offer their employees reasonable accommodations with respect to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations may include “more frequent Read more
