Two recent California court decisions have interpreted features of California law that affect how employees spend their break time and what their employers can expect. Specifically, the decisions concern employee reprieve from work and availability during meal and rest periods. Applicable Law In California, employee meal and rest periods are prescribed by statute and Industrial Read more
Kentuckians earning minimum wage may see an increase in their pay starting this July, if Bill H2 is passed. The current minimum wage rate is $7.25 per hour and may increase to $8.20 per hour beginning July 1st, if bill is approved. The bill would also increase the rate to $9.15 per hour on July Read more
Virginia employers may soon face stricter injury reporting rules. A proposed workplace safety bill aligning Virginia reporting requirements in cases of severe work-related injuries and fatalities with federal occupational safety and health reporting requirements is moving forward in the state legislature. By comparison, the state measure will hold employers to more strident reporting standards than Read more
The state of Minnesota has introduced a bill that if passed, will provide employees with a pregnancy, parenting and caregiver leave with some level of compensation. Under Bill H 580, an employer with one or more employees will be required to provide a 12-week pregnancy, parenting and caregiver leave. Employees will be eligible for leave Read more
Last year, the District of Columbia passed the Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act of 2014 (DC B 671) making significant changes to D.C.’s wage and hour laws. In particular, the act increases employer liability for wage-and-hour violations and changes the administrative procedures for adjudicating wage disputes. The act also increases employers’ notice obligations to employees. Read more
After a bill’s enactment this past November, Ontario employers must start reviewing their employment policies to stay compliant. New employer obligations come as a result of the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act (Bill 18). The Act was passed in an effort to provide support to Ontario workers. The first amendment will remove the Read more
The US DOL Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has published a proposed rule updating the sex discrimination guidelines for federal contractors and subcontractors. The sex discrimination guidelines implement Executive Order 11246, which prohibits companies with federal contracts and subcontracts from sex discrimination in employment. The proposed rule would replace existing sex discrimination guidelines, Read more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers that handle hazardous chemicals in their workplaces to implement the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) program. The purpose of the program is to ensure hazardous chemicals are classified and safety information is communicated. Just recently, the HCS was modified to adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification Read more
Because workplaces are constantly changing, the US Department of Labor is always reviewing its existing regulations to update rules that may be out of date, ineffective, insufficient or excessively burdensome. For example, in recent years OSHA implemented three improvement projects to address duplicative, unnecessary and inconsistent safety and health standards. Right now, the DOL is Read more
The state of Wisconsin has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Labor to reduce misclassification of employees. The goal is to prevent and reduce the misclassification of independent contractors or other nonemployee statuses by having agencies work together. Under the agreement, state and federal agencies can share resources and information, as well as conduct Read more
