Earlier this year, Governor Vazquez signed Law No. 9-2020, also known as the Working Women’s Bill of Rights. Unlike most laws, the Working Women’s Bill of Rights was enacted for informational purposes. The law centralizes a non-exhaustive compilation of rights already recognized in other Puerto Rico labor laws. The law does not create any new Read more
During the 2019 legislative session, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 3 to re-organize the state government for a more efficient administration. The Order created the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and renamed the Department of Talent and Economic Development to Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The Order also abolished the Michigan Talent Investment Read more
The New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights has updated the mandatory New Hampshire Employment Discrimination posting. The posting, which lists all protected categories under the New Hampshire Law Against Discrimination, has been substantially redesigned. In 2018, the New Hampshire legislature enacted House Bill 1319, adding gender identity to the list of protected categories. The law Read more
On September 1, 2019, Texas became the latest state to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products. Senate Bill 21 prohibits the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21. The law only allows individuals who are 18 years and older and serving in the military Read more
This January, New Jersey will join a growing number of states that prohibit employers from inquiring about workers’ compensation and salary experience. The new law (AB 1094) will prohibit employers from directly asking job applicants about their salary history, searching publicly available records for an applicant’s salary history, or using salary history disclosed during a Read more
On July 1, 2019, the District of Columbia (DC) started collecting taxes from all private sector employers to fund the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016. Every quarter, covered employers must file a wage report and pay 0.62 percent on that quarter’s wages or income. Covered employers include all DC employers subject to DC Read more
Following pressure from business leaders, Governor Baker signed an emergency bill (S 2255) on June 13th to delay the start of employer and employee contributions to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program by three months. The new effective date is October 1, 2019. This delay will allow covered employers more time to Read more
On April 9, 2019, the New York City Council passed a bill (Int. 1445-2019) banning pre-employment marijuana tests. The bill became law on May 10, 2019 when Mayor Bill de Blasio did not sign or veto the bill within 30 days of passage. Starting May 10, 2020, New York City employers will be prohibited from Read more
Late last year, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an ordinance that would raise the minimum wage for municipal government workers, contractors, and subcontractors to $15 an hour over the next four years. As stated by the Office of the Mayor, the purpose of the new law is to “assure that as many employees as possible Read more
Last month, we reported that Governor Matt Bevin signed the Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act requiring employers with 15 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. Under the Act, employers are required to post a notice of the right to be free from discrimination in relation to pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, Read more
