Maine Increases Penalties for Wage Violations

Maine has passed Senate Bill 179, which increases enforcement and accountability for wage and hour violations. Prior to the amendment, employers or other individuals responsible for any wage violations could only be fined up to $1,000 per violation. However, the new ... Read More

Illinois Passes Final Regulations for Paid Leave for All Workers Act

Illinois has published final regulations, implementing the state’s Paid Leave for All Workers Act. The final regulations differ slightly from the proposed regulations issued last year. Specifically, the regulations impose the following new requirements on employers: The final regulations are effective ... Read More

New York Passes Paid Prenatal Personal Leave

New York state has amended its labor code to require employers to provide employees up to 20 hours of paid prenatal personal leave during any fifty-two week calendar period.  “Paid prenatal personal leave” means leave taken for the health care ... Read More

DOL Increases Salary Threshold for White Collar Exemptions under the FLSA

The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule revising the regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) implementing the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees (i.e., “white ... Read More

Phoenix Contractors and Subcontractors Must Develop a Heat Safety Plan

The Phoenix City Council has recently approved Ordinance G-7241 in response to a stark increase in heat-related illnesses and deaths, with a record of 395 fatalities in 2023. The ordinance requires every city contractor and subcontractor to develop a heat safety plan ... Read More

Supreme Court Lowers Standard for Title VII Discrimination Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the requirement that a claimant must show that they have suffered “significant” or “serious” harm to prevail on a Title VII discrimination claim. Instead, in a recent decision, the court held that a plaintiff may ... Read More

EEOC Issues Final Regulations for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released final regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA, issued last year, requires employers with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee’s or applicant’s known limitations related ... Read More

FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements Set to Take Effect September 4, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule that promotes competition by banning noncompete agreements nationwide (with few exceptions). The FTC has announced that the final rule will be published in the Federal Register on May 7, 2024, ... Read More

Maryland Increases Penalty for Failure to Obtain Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Maryland has passed MD Senate Bill 216, which raises the maximum penalty that can be assessed against employers who fail to secure required workers’ compensation insurance. The amendment changes the penalty limit from $10,000 to $25,000. This change increases the ... Read More

Kentucky Shortens Statute of Limitations for Discrimination & Wage Claims

Kentucky has established a new statute of limitations for employee claims against employers under the Kentucky Civil Rights Act (KCRA) and the Kentucky Wage and Hour Act (KWHA). Employees will now have up to three years to bring such claims, which shortens ... Read More

DOL Creates Employment Resources to Support People with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the creation of a new resource called the Competitive Integrated Employment Transformation Hub. The hub is designed to support the employment of individuals with disabilities by gathering resources from various federal agencies. It provides ... Read More

Minnesota PFML Wage Reports Due July 1, 2024

As you’re aware, Minnesota will be launching its Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFML) Program in 2026. Prior to that, however, employers must electronically submit quarterly wage detail reports to Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) starting July 1, 2024. The ... Read More