State Labor Law Changes

The District of Columbia has issued new final regulations for the District’s Family and Medical Leave Act (DC FMLA, D.C. Official Code 32-501 et seq.), effective November 19, 2010. While many provisions of the rules are not new and were included in the Act and in prior regulations, there is new material of which employers Read more

Illinois Governor to Sign Civil Unions Bill Giving Same-sex Couples Additional Benefits & Protections During the Illinois legislature’s fall 2010 veto session, lawmakers passed the historic “Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act” (IL S 1716). The bill defines “civil union” as a legal relationship between 2 persons of either the same or opposite Read more

Massachusetts’ Governor Signs CORI Reform Law Massachusetts’ Governor Deval Patrick signed a law preventing employers from seeking disclosure of job applicants’ criminal record information prior to the interview stage of the hiring process. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has enforcement authority over the existing Criminal Records Statute, G.L. c 151B, Section 4 (9). Under the Read more

The California Employers Guide, DE 44 Has Been Updated for 2011 2011 changes for employers in California include: Expanded e-Services for Businesses- Now employers will be able to view and manage their own employer tax account, file most reports, and provide payment options for tax deposits, liabilities and much more. For more information go to Read more

The New York State Department of Labor Launches Green Survey, Mailers Sent Out The New York State Department of Labor has sent out surveys in the mail to estimate the number of green jobs in the state and determine the skills workers need in order to accomplish these jobs. This research project was made possible Read more

3 Important Illinois Employment-related Changes Effective 1/1/2011: Children & Grandparents Now Eligible for Family Military LeaveEffective January 1, 2011, employees who are the child or grandparent of a person called into active military service are entitled to the same leave previously provided to spouses and parents under the Family Military Leave Act. Under the expanded Read more

Florida’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, effective July 24, 2009. This is up from the $7.21 per hour minimum wage that was effective January 1, 2009. On November 2, 2004, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment which changed Florida law and instituted a minimum wage. The minimum wage applies to all employees in the Read more

On May 19, 2009, Governor Bob Riley signed into law House Bill 144. The new act reforms Alabama child labor enforcement standards, transferring the permitting process from the public school system to the Department of Labor. In addition, new record keeping requirements and administrative penalties have been added. According to the Alabama DOL, work permits Read more