On June 28, 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature passed House Bill 4640, which will gradually raise the minimum wage, and will provide paid family and medical leave (PFML) to employees. Most employees will be eligible to get up to 12 weeks of paid family leave and up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave. The program Read more
On April 23, 2019, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed H.B. 2016 into law. The bill, which came into effect immediately upon signature, amends the Tennessee Healthy Workplace Act to address private employers as well as state or local government entities. The new law extends the protections created by the Tennessee workplace bullying prevention law, originally Read more
On April 12, 2019, Maine’s first female Governor Janet Mills signed Senate Bill 90, or “An Act Regarding Pay Equality,” into law. The new law, which goes into effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends, seeks to end wage inequality in the state by prohibiting employers from taking salary history into account when Read more
If you’ve been following our blog, you are aware that last year New York City passed two bills that amended the New York City Administrative Code to expand protections for nursing mothers in the workplace. Employers with four or more employees are required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees to express breast milk. This new Read more
The Indiana Department of Labor has updated the Teen Worker Hour Restrictions posting with new work hours. Indiana employers with employees under the age of 18 in an occupation for which the employees must obtain an employment certificate must display the Teen Worker Hour Restrictions posting in a conspicuous location at the workplace (Indiana Code, Read more
The City of Portland, Oregon has amended the Portland Civil Rights Ordinance to clarify that religious discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of atheism and agnosticism. In a press release, Commissioner Anna Fritz, who submitted the ordinance to the City Council, stated that “Freedom of religion includes freedom not to affiliate with a religious belief. Read more
On July 17, 2018, Kentucky Governor Matthew G. Bevin passed Executive Order 2018-586 abolishing the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board consisted of a thirteen-member body chaired by the Secretary of Labor. The Board was created to adopt and promulgate occupational safety and health rules, regulations, and standards Read more
After nearly a decade of hovering just above the federal minimum wage, Illinois has joined California, New York, Massachusetts, and (most recently) New Jersey in scheduling a $15 minimum wage. The new law creates a series of smaller wage hikes starting in 2020, with the final $15 rate taking effect in 2025. SB 1, or Read more
The City of New York has passed two bills (Int. No. 879-A & Int. No.905-A) that amend the administrative code of the City of New York to expand protections for nursing mothers. Under current law, employers must make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, near the work area, where an employee can Read more
On October 12, 2018, Westchester County, New York, enacted a new ordinance titled Earned Sick Leave Law. Starting April 10, 2019, private employers with five or more employees, or one or more domestic workers, will be required to provide paid sick leave. Private employers with less than five employees must provide unpaid sick time. The Read more
