Hawaii is the latest state to enact legislation increasing the state minimum wage rate. Eventually Hawaii’s minimum wage rate will reach $10.10 per hour. Right now, Hawaii’s minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour. Hawaii’s new minimum wage rates will be phased in as follows: $7.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015 $8.50 per hour Read more
Yesterday, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed legislation that will ultimately increase the state minimum wage rate to $10.10 per hour. The Maryland law phases in the increase, raising the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25 per hour to: $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015, $8.25 an hour on July 1, 2015, $8.75 Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its career sourcing website to help returning veterans find jobs. The DOL’s Career One Stop website includes a renovated webpage that both assists veterans in finding local jobs that match their military experience while also allowing employers to post job openings for veterans. Veterans The Career One Read more
In the State of New York drivers of commercial vehicles that transport goods are covered by the NY Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act. The law, signed on January 10, 2014 by Governor Cuomo, creates a new standard for determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor in the trucking industry. As Read more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration encourages states to develop and operate their own safety and health programs. In fact, OSHA approves and monitors all State Plans. There are 27 state-run programs of which Arizona is one of them. By law, state run plans must be at least as effective as federal OSHA’s which brings Read more
Under a new Oklahoma law (OK SB 1023), cities and towns in that state are banned from raising the local minimum wage. The new law also bars localities from requiring employers provide employees a certain number of sick leave or vacation days, either paid or unpaid. The new law is said to protect the state Read more
Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) has released an updated “Job Safety and Health Protection on the Job” posting. The posting is formatted to look similar to the familiar, full-color federal OSHA Job Safety and Health Protection on the Job posting. The new format is easy for employees and compliance personnel to identify. Also, Read more
There are mandatory changes to the State of New Hampshire Whistleblowers’ Protection Act Notice. These changes affect employee rights. Specifically, an employer cannot discharge, threaten, or discriminate against any public or private employee for reporting or causing a report to be made that violates any law or rule adopted under the laws of New Hampshire, Read more
The city of Austin, TX Smoking Ordinance prohibits smoking in the enclosed areas of most public places and workplaces, and within 15 feet of an entrance or openable window of an enclosed area in which smoking is prohibited. The Ordinance also places affirmative obligations on employers to prevent smoking in the workplace. Written Notice to Read more
New Mexico has updated the mandatory state Minimum Wage Act poster to reflect changes in coverage and enforcement provisions. The posting now references the exclusion of workers in agriculture and certain airline employees from overtime pay requirements. The posting also includes new remedial options available to employees for violations of the Minimum Wage Act. There Read more
