Lawmakers and business owners are hopeful that a new Minnesota service animal law will cut down on the number of people who misrepresent their pets as service animals in order to take advantage of the legal protections available to people who require the services of a qualified assistance animal. The law, which was signed by Read more
As a response to the #MeToo and #Times Up movements, the New York City Commission on Human Rights has launched a citywide ad campaign to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. The campaign makes it clear that abuse of power and privilege will not be tolerated, and that victims can seek help. Under the New Read more
If you’ve been following our blog, you already know that Washington State had a busy legislative year for employment-related laws. In addition to the expansion of the state’s Equal Pay law and the added protection of workers who are victims of domestic violence from employment discrimination, the state also enacted strong sexual harassment laws designed Read more
Although opinions differ as to the cause, the wage gap between male and female workers persists even today – on average, women earn roughly 80% of what men earn over the course of a lifetime. Some equality advocates have argued that the common employer practice of using a new hire’s previous salary to determine their Read more
Alaska is the latest state to eliminate subminimum wage for workers with disabilities. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are allowed to pay wages less than the Federal minimum wage to workers who have disabilities for the work being performed. New Hampshire and Maryland were the first states in the country to eliminate this Read more
Last week, we started a series of blogs on new State of Washington laws going into effect in June that will affect how employers manage an individual’s legal rights and physical protections in the workplace. In this blog, we will look at Washington’s new Domestic Violence in the Workplace law that prohibits employment discrimination against Read more
Taking note of employer concerns, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released some preliminary guidance on its new PAID program, a six-month pilot initative intended to quickly resolve accidental wage and hour violations outside of the courtroom and help employers improve pay practices to avoid similar mistakes in the future. In a question-and-answer format, Read more
New Jersey is the latest state to pass an equal pay equity bill. On March 24, 2018, Governor Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 104 also known as the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act. A similar bill had been introduced by the New Jersey Legislature back in 2016. The equal pay and discriminatory pay practices Read more
Washington State wrapped up the 2018 legislative term with several new laws affecting individuals’ rights in the workplace. Highlights include equal pay protections, protecting workers who are victims of domestic violence, strong sexual harassment laws, ban-the-box legislation, and a law authorizing increases in the penalties for violations of state occupational safety and health laws. We’ll Read more
During its 2018 legislative session, the Virginia General Assembly passed two bills which increase employment protections for employees and job applicants who are members of a reserve military force or civilian auxiliary unit. Although some bills are still waiting for Governor Ralph Northam’s signature, he has already signed these two into law. Virginia Unpaid Leave Read more
