For years, California employers have struggled to deal with claims under the state’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”)(Labor Code §§ 2699, et seq.), known – without affection – in the early days as the “Sue Your Boss”...more
California State Senate Bill 699 (“SB 699”) and California State Assembly Bill 1076 (“AB 1076”) enhance California’s well-known prohibition against non-compete agreements or restrictive covenants. Both bills, which took...more
On March 24, 2023, Michigan became the first state in decades to repeal its “Right-to-Work” law. Two days after Governor Whitmer signed the legislation into law, the Teamsters celebrated the repeal with the Governor. Michigan...more
As outlined in the February 22, 2023 SGR Client Alert, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) ruled in McLaren Macomb that severance agreements may not contain general non-disparagement or confidentiality/non-disclosures...more
On February 22, 2023, the United States Supreme Court issued the long-awaited decision in Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. v. Hewitt. The Supreme Court held that a highly compensated employee who is paid solely on a...more
In a recent decision that is good news for California employers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling striking down California Assembly Bill 51 (“AB 51”) as preempted by the...more
The Illinois legislature kicked off the new year with the passage of Senate Bill 208 (SB208), also known as the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (the “Act”). Illinois Governor Pritzker issued a statement indicating his...more
Over the past two years, employers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic were forced to hold their holiday celebrations virtually via Zoom, or maybe even scrapped such events altogether given the circumstances. This year,...more
12/6/2022
/ Bonuses ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Gifts ,
Holiday Parties ,
Independent Contractors ,
IRS ,
Marijuana ,
Wine & Alcohol ,
Workplace Safety
On November 1, 2022, New York City’s Wage Transparency Law takes effect, intended to promote pay equity. The new law amends the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), Title 8 of the Administrative Code of the City of New...more
10/13/2022
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
City of New York ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Human Rights ,
Job Ads ,
Job Applicants ,
Noncompliance ,
Pay Transparency ,
Penalties ,
Posting Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
Beginning January 1, 2023, employers will be required to provide expanded unpaid bereavement leave to eligible Illinois employees under the Family Bereavement Leave Act (“FBLA”). The FBLA amended the Child Bereavement Leave...more
The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion clarifying when an employer may be held liable for interfering with its employees’ rights to take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (“FMLA”)....more
The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance was amended recently to add significant sexual harassment prevention requirements for employers. By July 1, 2022, Chicago is requiring all employers with at least one employee working within...more
On May 23, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the question of waiver in a case governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) and held that a party can waive its right to arbitration irrespective of whether the other...more
On October 28, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) launched the Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and Algorithmic Fairness (the “Initiative”) to ensure that artificial intelligence (“AI”) and...more
New York City passed a one-of-a-kind law that will require employers to audit automated decision-making tools used to evaluate job candidates and employees. AI and algorithm-based technologies used for hiring and promotions...more
2/14/2022
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Bias ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Fines ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Technology Sector
New York City took the next step to expand its pay transparency laws. Effective May 15, 2022, job postings must include the minimum and maximum salary offered for any position located within New York City. This amendment to...more
At the same time that it is lifting statewide mask mandates (although local mandates may remain in place), California has reinstituted paid COVID leave requirements that had expired on September 30, 2021....more
2/10/2022
/ California ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Newsom ,
Labor Code ,
Masks ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Wage and Hour ,
Written Notice
On Friday, November 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) will issue an emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) detailing President Joe Biden’s directive that all...more
11/5/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Rules ,
OSHA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
On October 7, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 331, which will become law on January 1, 2022. Dubbed the “Silenced No More Act,” the new law effectively will eliminate an employer’s ability to prevent disclosure of...more
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed into law amendments to the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act changing employers’ obligations to notify employees about their wages. The changes can be found here and are effective now....more
Most California employers know that under Labor Code § 226.7(c), employees who are not provided with a compliant meal, rest, or recovery period must be paid an additional hour of pay for each violation. Most California...more
On July 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14036 providing direction to promote competition in the American economy. The Executive Order contains directives for federal agencies addressing issues in the...more
On June 17, 2021, Cal OSHA’s board voted to adopt revised COVID-19 workplace standards that more closely align with what is being done across the country. The Governor issued an executive order that allowed the revised...more
The Illinois legislature passed Senate Bill 672 (“SB 672”) significantly changing non-compete and non-solicitation law in Illinois. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker and go into effect on...more
In the first lawsuit against a private employer on its mandatory vaccine policy, Houston Methodist Hospital won dismissal of the case brought by a group of unvaccinated employees. The Honorable Lynn N. Hughes issued a...more