The state of New York increased the general minimum wage rate in a series of three annual increments starting in 2013; as a result, a Wage Board was appointed to investigate and recommend any changes to service employees’ minimum wage. On February 24, 2015, the Acting Commissioner of the New York Department of Labor adopted Read more
Summer is just around the corner and already employers are planning for the arrival of unpaid interns to join their workplace ranks. As defined under federal, state and local law, the term “unpaid intern” generally refers to a closely supervised individual who works for an employer on a temporary basis and the work provides training Read more
Minnesota’s Bill H 1093, introduced on February 19th, proposes numerous changes to Minnesota’s employment provisions. The bill also known as “Working Parent Act,” covers employee rest and meal breaks, fair scheduling, and earned sick and safe time. Under the proposed bill, employees must get a 10 minute break for every four hours worked. An employer must Read more
Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) distributed a memorandum reinforcing the agency’s position that discrimination based on sexual orientation, transgender status, and gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Title Read more
Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal has signed an executive order on February 23, 2015, implementing a “ban the box” hiring policy. Similar to the policies adopted by other states across the country, Georgia’s policy was implemented to provide individuals with a criminal record a fair chance to apply to job positions. Under the policy, job applicants Read more
On February 26, the US Department of Labor (DOL) Women’s Bureau (WB) published a Notice proposing to conduct a survey about working women to identify employment issues and challenges currently facing women, including their perceptions on career choice and overall equity in the workplace, and also to explore the factors that contribute to women leaving Read more
To ensure and promote workplace safety, the Maine Department of Labor is offering once again free safety classes in the month of March. The courses will be held at the SafetyWorks! Training Institution in Augusta. According to SafetyWorks! the program trains approximately 8,000 individuals annually. The program which provides consultation and enforcement services, is offering Read more
Three New Mexico communities are increasing their minimum wage rates. Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Bernalillo each tie the minimum wage rate in their jurisdictions to increases in the cost of living from the previous year, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Albuquerque Albuquerque’s Minimum Wage rate increased to $8.75 per hour effective January 1, Read more
In Gibbs v. City of New York, the New York Federal Court has found that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to pay their employees for attending mandatory alcohol counseling and treatment sessions to keep their jobs. The case involved two New York Police Department employees that sued the police department Read more
Today the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Final Rule extending the Family and Medical Leave Act’s (FMLA) protections to married same-sex couples regardless of whether the state they live in recognizes their union. This rule will ensure that spouses in same-sex marriages have the same ability as all spouses to fully exercise their FMLA Read more
