In California, how piece-rate workers should be compensated during mandated rest and recovery periods and other work time that does not generate piece-rate earnings has been the subject of controversy and legal battles. A new California law (AB 1513) goes into effect January 1, 2016, that is intended to clarify and settle the pay requirements for mandated rest Read more
The US Department of Labor (DOL) is currently in the process of revising federal overtime rules such that an estimated 5 million more white-collar workers soon will be eligible for overtime pay. The DOL has been in the process of revising federal overtime rules since last summer and it received nearly 300,000 comments to the Read more
On September 18, 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a Final Rule revising injury recording and reporting requirements. The Final Rule, which became effective January 1, 2015, extended the list of specified industries that must log all injuries or illnesses. Also under the new rule, employers are required to report any fatality to OSHA within Read more
In recent years, increasing the minimum wage rate at the local level has gained momentum. Already, several California Bay Area cities have established minimum wage rates that exceed California’s 2016 $10.00 per hour state minimum wage rate. Support for the higher minimum wage rates is indicative of the higher cost of living in these communities. Read more
New York City employers covered by the new Commuter Benefits Law (No. 53) must offer pre-tax transportation benefits to employees starting January 1, 2016. The local law was passed by the city council on October 7, 2014 and approved by Mayor de Blasio on October 20, 2014. Employers must review the Act to understand their Read more
Beginning January 1, 2016, Oregon employees will have new protections and their employers will have new legal responsibilities. Following a busy legislative year, the following are some of the new laws taking effect this January that affect Oregon workplaces: Statewide Mandatory Paid Sick Leave – Effective January 1, 2016, Oregon employers with 10 or more Read more
As previously covered in our blog, Massachusetts voters approved the Earned Sick Time Law that became effective on July 1, 2015. Under the law, employers must provide their employees with a minimum of one hour of earned sick time for every 30 hours worked. Employees working for an employer with 11 or more employees can Read more
State Ban-the-Box Laws Each year employers must navigate an ever-growing field of labor and employment-related laws to ensure compliance. In recent years, the presence of statewide “ban-the-box” legislation has grown significantly. These “fair chance” laws provide applicants a fair chance at being considered for a job by prohibiting questions about the applicant’s conviction history on Read more
On November 19th, Lexington became the second Kentucky city to approve a minimum wage ordinance. Louisville was the first city to pass a local minimum wage law when employers were required to pay $7.75 per hour to their minimum wage employees starting July 1st. During a city council meeting, Lexington’s Urban County Council voted 9-6 Read more
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has incorporated several major labor law changes to its employer required postings. To ensure complete posting compliance, employers should post the updated 2016 Oregon All-On-One Labor Law poster featuring the following Oregon law changes: Oregon 2016 Minimum Wage Although Oregon’s minimum wage rate will not increase from Read more
