Legal Updates

Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that California Labor Code Section 432.6 – which prohibits and criminalizes mandatory arbitration of California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and Labor Code claims as a condition of employment ... Read More

Oregon has amended its rule regarding meal and rest periods to prescribe timing of meal periods in certain hospital settings. Generally speaking, under the current rule, if an employee’s work period is seven hours or less, the meal period must be taken ... Read More

A new Pennsylvania act clarifies that when an individual voluntarily discloses an expunged criminal record to their employer, the employer is immune from liability for any claim relating to the effects of the expunged record. For example, the employer will not be ... Read More

For 2024, New York has increased certain employee salary thresholds for overtime exemptions. For employees in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, the threshold for exemption as an executive or administrative employee increases to $1,200 per week, or $62,400 ... Read More

As a reminder, effective November 1, 2023, Massachusetts employees became able to supplement benefits under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) with accrued paid leave to receive up to 100% of wage replacement during their PFMLA-qualified leave, ... Read More

St. Paul, Minnesota and Bloomington, Minnesota have amended their sick and safe time ordinances to align with the state’s new sick and safe time law. Specific changes include the following: The new ordinances are effective January 1, 2024. Policy templates are ... Read More

Effective January 1, 2024, Washington law will require payment for accrued and unused sick leave for certain construction workers following separation. Specifically, following separation, employers must pay the balance of accrued and unused paid sick leave to construction workers classified under NAICS ... Read More

Washington has passed a new rule stating that if an employer requires employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the time associated with receiving the vaccine must be considered hours worked and overtime must be paid under the Washington State Minimum ... Read More

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2024, California has changed the state’s paid sick leave provisions, specifically regarding the use, accrual, and carryover of paid sick leave. The new requirements, for example, increase the amount of sick leave an employee can use ... Read More

The Duluth City Council has unanimously voted to rescind its Earned Sick and Safe Time Ordinance, deeming it no longer necessary given a recently passed state law that bestows many of the same benefits on workers throughout Minnesota. Minnesota enacted ... Read More

Cook County, Illinois, has passed significant changes to its Sick Leave Ordinance, shifting it to the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance.  Effective December 31, 2023, the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance will ensure employees in Cook County:  The County’s Earned Sick Leave ... Read More

The City of Chicago has delayed the effective date of its Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance from December 31, 2023 to July 1, 2024. The amended ordinance also changes the definition of a “covered employee” under the law. ... Read More