New California labor laws went into effect on January 1, 2015, giving employees greater protections and rights and imposing new responsibilities on employers. Each law carries a workplace posting requirement applicable to all California employers. Paid Sick Leave The Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act of 2014 (CA AB 1522) is California’s new paid sick leave law. Read more
Under the Delaware Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, S.B. 212, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related condition. Accommodations may include: Additional equipment for sitting, More frequent or longer breaks, Periodic rest, Assistance with manual labor, Job restructuring, Light-duty assignments, Modified work schedules, Temporary transfers Read more
Some employers and their workers might find it surprising to learn that in most states unpaid interns, unpaid trainees and volunteers are not covered by state harassment and employment discrimination laws. This exclusion is slowly changing. Protected Status California recently became the fourth state to pass a law (CA AB 1443) that protects unpaid interns, Read more
Employment Discrimination The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) has released new mandatory state and county labor law posting requirements. The state’s Employment Discrimination is Unlawful posting has been updated to include two new protected categories: “Ancestry” and “Gender Identity.” Ancestry compliments the category of “National Origin,” and “Gender Identity” was added by Read more
Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter recently signed the Breastfeeding Accommodation Bill, Number 130922, an extension of the Philadelphia Fair Practices Ordinance. It is effective immediately. Businesses with one (1) or more employees are now required to provide reasonable accommodations for female employees who need to pump breast milk. Reasonable accommodation includes providing unpaid break time or allowing Read more
President Obama recently issued an Executive Order that protects federal employees and employees of federal contractors from discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, the President’s July 21, 2014 Executive Order adds the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the list of characteristics protected from discrimination under Executive Read more
Veteran Status has been added as a class protected from employment discrimination under amended Indiana law. Veteran Status has also been added to Indiana’s required Equal Employment Opportunity posting. The law (HB 1242) prohibits employers from refusing to employ an applicant based on his or her status as a veteran. The law applies to veterans Read more
Illinois’ new “Ban the Box” law will soon give workers a second chance when it comes to landing a job. The law prohibits private employers or employment agencies in Illinois from asking about the criminal histories of applicants until they are deemed qualified and selected for interviews or receive a conditional offer of employment. In Read more
The US Department of Labor (DOL) is expected to soon issue formal guidance to make it clear that employment discrimination based on transgender (gender identity) status is prohibited. Two years ago, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided in Mary v. Holder that “sex discrimination”, which is prohibited under federal law, includes discrimination against transgender individuals. Read more
Internet job boards, search engines and social media sites are shaping the ways in which companies locate, recruit and hire candidates for open positions. More employers than ever are posting their employment opportunities online and using social networking sites to reach and screen prospective employees. With the amount of information that is publicly available, employers Read more
