On July 22, 2015, Governor Douglas A. Ducey issued an executive order (2015-06) providing the state of Arizona the authority to perform credit, criminal and other background checks of prospective gubernatorial appointees and employees of the Office of the Governor. Currently, consumer reporting agencies can provide consumer reports to private employers for employment purposes under Read more
Starting next year, many employers in the District of Columbia will be required to provide employees with a ride to work. The District’s Sustainable DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2014 (“Act”)(D.C. Law 20-142), Section 302, requires employers with 20 or more employees to offer one of several transportation fringe benefits to employees beginning January 1, Read more
This summer, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed “An Act Concerning Pay Equity and Fairness” into law to help create an environment where employees can discuss their wages with other individuals without punishment. Under the new law, employers cannot prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing his or her wages or wages of another employee. Employers are Read more
Employees of federal contractors soon will have some much needed relief when it comes to taking care of their own wellness and providing care for family members with health conditions. Earlier this week Present Obama issued an Executive Order that will entitle employees of federal contractors to earn up to seven paid sick leave days Read more
In the last two years, paid sick leave has gained momentum in the state of New Jersey. Nine cities across the state have adopted a paid sick leave ordinance. The ordinances, which are now effective, are very similar in major areas. Under all nine ordinances, qualified employees will accrue a minimum of one hour 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
To ensure and promote workplace safety, the Maine Department of Labor will offer once again free safety classes in the month of September. The courses will be held at the SafetyWorks Training Institution in Augusta, unless otherwise noted. According to SafetyWorks, the program trains approximately 8,000 individuals annually. The free courses, which are available Read more
Last January 1, Illinois’ Pregnancy Accommodation Act, also known as the “Pregnancy Fairness Act”, went into effect protecting pregnant workers from employment discrimination and requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees, and job applicants, for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. New administrative rules implementing Read more
A court in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has suggested that a decision by the state’s department of labor can be the “ultimate resolution” to a class action’s legal matter. In the class action, Siciliano v. Mueller, employees claimed that their employer violated the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law by mandating to receive their payment of Read more
Maine has become the latest state to enact a bill prohibiting employers from accessing employees’ personal social media accounts. Under the new Act (Bill H 640), employers cannot require or coerce an employee or potential employee to disclose his or her password to any of his or her social media accounts. These accounts may include Read more
