On June 20, 2022, Governor Pedro Pierluisi signed into law Act No. 41-2022, instituting drastic changes to labor and employment laws in Puerto Rico and extending employment rights for employees in the private sector. In doing...more
6/22/2022
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Bonuses ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Employment Contract ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Puerto Rico ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Wage and Hour
On February 11, 2021, the Women’s Advocate Office (WAO) published Guidelines on the Acclimatization of Lactation Rooms (Guidelines), which apply to both public- and private-sector employers....more
As the first phase of Puerto Rico’s plan to restart the economy, and following the recommendations of the Medical and Economic Task Forces, Governor of Puerto Rico Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced issued Executive Order...more
On April 9, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced signed into law House Bill No. 2428 (“Bill No. 2428”), now Act No. 37-2020, to amend the Puerto Rico Minimum Salary,...more
On March 17, 2020, Luis D. García Fraga, Chief Commissioner of Puerto Rico’s Transportation and Other Public Services Bureau, issued guidance on Executive Order EO-2020-23 (EO) and the operations allowed during the lockdown...more
On March 23, 2020, the Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources issued Opinion No. 2020-02 (Opinion 2020-02) discussing provisions applicable to both exempt and non-exempt private-sector employees...more
In the wake of Governor Wanda Vázquez-Garced’s March 15, 2020 Executive Order (EO 2020-023) enacted to facilitate the private and public closings necessary to combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the...more
Employers in Puerto Rico Precluded from Using Credit Reports or Credit History for Employment Actions -
New Legislation Enacted -
On October 8, 2019, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law Act No. 150 of October 8,...more
On October 8, 2019, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law Act No. 150 of October 8, 2019 (“Act 150” or “the Act”), which prohibits employers from, among other actions, verifying or investigating credit history or credit...more
An Employee’s Felony Indictment Constitutes Just Cause for Termination -
Precedential Decision by Judiciary or Regulatory Agency -
On April 25, 2019, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court held that a felony indictment...more
7/17/2019
/ Caregivers ,
Discrimination ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Felonies ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
International Labor Laws ,
Labor Regulations ,
New Regulations ,
Puerto Rico ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour
As we have previously discussed, the Puerto Rico Department of Labor (PR DOL) recently published the first edition of its Guidelines on the Interpretation of Puerto Rico’s Employment Legislation (Guidelines), which includes...more
6/24/2019
/ Breastfeeding ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
New Guidance ,
Puerto Rico ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sick Leave ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Vacation Leave ,
Wage and Hour
New Regulation Adopted to Administer Unemployment Insurance -
New Regulation or Official Guidance -
On November 8, 2018, Puerto Rico’s Department of Labor and Human Resources published the Regulation to Administer the...more
On October 22, 2018, the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury (the “PR Treasury”) issued Publication 18-03, which makes tax reporting and tax deadline changes for certain severance payments. ...more
The Governor of Puerto Rico recently signed into law Act No. 115, extending the list of authorized payroll deductions under Act 17-1931 (“Act 17”). As a general rule, deductions from non-exempt employees’ wages in Puerto Rico...more
The Governor of Puerto Rico recently signed into law Act No. 28 (“Act 28”), entitling all employees, including temporary employees, to take up to six days of paid leave per year if they suffer from a “catastrophic illness.”...more
On Saturday, January 27, 2018, the Governor of Puerto Rico signed into law Act No. 60, establishing greater protections for non-exempt private sector employees by prohibiting employers from using sick leave to measure...more
On September 20, 2017, Puerto Rico suffered the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria, which savaged the Island, taking down all communications systems, severely damaging or completely destroying many homes and roads, and...more
On January 26, 2017, the Governor of Puerto Rico approved the Labor Transformation and Flexibility Act (“the Act"). The Act makes substantial changes to virtually all existing Puerto Rico employment laws, including those...more
1/26/2017
/ Bonuses ,
Conflicts of Laws ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
HSA ,
Independent Contractors ,
Maternity Leave ,
Over-Time ,
Puerto Rico ,
Qualified Benefit Plans ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Severance Pay ,
Sick Leave ,
Unemployment ,
Vacation Pay ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim