Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Substitute House Bill 1905 on March 28, 2024, broadening the scope of Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA)....more
4/30/2024
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Inslee ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Multiple new laws will take effect in Washington state beginning January 2024, bringing changes to the state’s minimum wage laws and adding requirements under the state’s Paid Sick Leave Law. ...more
Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use.
What Is Prohibited?
Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more
11/20/2023
/ Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Screening Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use.
What Is Prohibited?
Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more
11/17/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabis Products ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Governor Inslee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Screening Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures ,
Washington
Connecticut Paid Sick and Safe Leave was expanded to add two additional permitted uses, effective October 1, 2023.
Connecticut Paid Sick and Safe Leave -
Connecticut Paid Sick and Safe Leave originally went into...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-2 on May 17, 2023, to provide guidance to its field staff regarding enforcement of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act...more
7/11/2023
/ Breastfeeding ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Enforcement ,
Exceptions ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
New Guidance ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”) ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State and Local Government ,
Undue Hardship ,
Wage and Hour
On May 24, 2023, the state of Minnesota enacted a labor bill (SF 3035) that prohibits employers’ use of noncompetes, effective July 1, 2023. The ban does not apply retroactively to noncompetes signed prior to July 1, 2023....more
Following delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has finally revisited its indoor heat illness prevention standard (the Standard)....more
4/18/2023
/ Cal-OSHA ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Training ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Heat Exposure ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
Multiple new laws took effect in Washington at the beginning of the year, including several that increased the minimum wage in various locations across the state. ...more
The Illinois legislature, on January 10, 2023, passed the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLFAW), which Governor Pritzker announced he will sign into law. Should the bill be enacted, Illinois would become the third state...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee will end the statewide COVID-19 emergency declaration on October 31, 2022, and rescind all remaining COVID-19 emergency proclamations. Despite the governor’s action, however, Washington’s Health...more
Many San Francisco employers have faced new requirements to comply with the city’s amended Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance (FFWO), which went into effect on July 12, 2022, to provide flexible or predictable working...more
Seattle’s new Independent Contractor Protections Ordinance (the Ordinance) took effect on September 1, 2022. The law requires certain employers to provide independent contractors with disclosures both before entering a...more
The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (the CROWN Act or the Act) went into effect in Louisiana on August 1, 2022. The CROWN Act prohibits employment discrimination based on hairstyles and hair textures...more
Earlier this year, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law amendments to the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML Amendments), which permit additional paid leave opportunities for new parents. The PFML...more
7/14/2022
/ Employee Handbooks ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Family Medical Leave ,
Governor Inslee ,
New Amendments ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
State and Local Government ,
Washington
With summer underway, employers in the state of Washington are reminded to follow the state’s new emergency outdoor heat exposure rules, which went into effect on June 15, 2022. These rules apply through September 29, 2022,...more
7/7/2022
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Heat Exposure ,
Labor Reform ,
New Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Washington ,
Workplace Hazards ,
Workplace Safety
Ohio’s new firearm law, Ohio Senate Bill 215, went into effect on June 13, 2022, permitting all qualifying adults to legally carry, possess, or conceal a handgun that is not a restricted firearm without a license, background...more
Governor Jay Inslee signed ESHB 2076 into law on March 31, 2022, making Washington the first state to require minimum per-trip payments, paid sick leave, and workers’ compensation benefits for rideshare drivers. The law also...more
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act in a 235-189 vote. According to the bill, passed on March 18, 2022, the long-standing racial and national origin...more
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Silenced No More Act (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1795) on March 24, 2022, making Washington the second state in the nation after California to prohibit employers from...more
4/6/2022
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Governor Inslee ,
Independent Contractors ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
Pre-Employment Agreements ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
Washington Governor Jay Inslee, on March 30, 2022, signed into law amendments to the state’s Equal Pay and Opportunity Act (EPOA Amendments), which soon will require most Washington employers to include pay ranges and...more
4/4/2022
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Governor Inslee ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Transparency ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
In Port of Tacoma v. Sacks, the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington recently held that all out-of-town employee travel time is compensable under state law. The decision confirms the Washington State Department of...more
10/5/2021
/ Appeals ,
Compensation ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Travel Time ,
Traveling Employee ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Overview of ESD Audits -
The Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) audits records of employers located in Washington to confirm that wages and hours are accurately reported and to ensure compliance with the...more
10/5/2021
/ Audits ,
Best Practices ,
Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour ,
Washington
Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA) on May 11, 2021. HELSA went into effect immediately and applies to workplaces only during a declared public health emergency involving an...more
9/23/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Inslee ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Legislation ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Reporting Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
On April 16, 2021, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Washington Wage Recovery Act, allowing employees to place a lien on their employers’ property to secure unpaid wages.
The purpose of the law is to provide...more
6/24/2021
/ Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Inslee ,
Liens ,
New Legislation ,
Property Liens ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour