Sunday, July 5, 2026Labor & Employment Law
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6399 articles on ELINFONET
Michigan
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed the Workforce Opportunity Wage Act, mandating gradual increases in the state’s minimum wage to $9.25 an hour by January 1, 2018. The Act ties increases to the rate of inflation beginning 2019.
Texas
A new Houston ordinance prohibits private employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, and marital status. The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (“HERO”), which takes effect on June 27, 2014, expands the types of “protected charac
Puerto Rico
The stage is set for Puerto Rico to become the first U.S. jurisdiction to statutorily address “workplace bullying” or “workplace harassment” (sometimes known as “mobbing”), with potentially costly consequences for employers. It is now up to the Governor of Puerto Rico to decide whether to approve or
New York - General
Prospective employers in Rochester, New York, will no longer be able to ask applicants to describe their criminal history in an employment application, and for a time thereafter. The City on May 20, 2014, enacted a “Ban the Box” Ordinance, which restricts the timing of these pre-employment inquiries
Minnesota - General
Minnesota’s new Medical Cannabis Act, signed into law on May 29, 2014, narrows the kind medical cannabis permitted, as compared to many other state laws, but may offer considerable protections to applicants and employees in the workplace. The Act became effective upon enactment, but it will take tim
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has joined the growing list of states prohibiting employers from requesting or demanding access to the personal social media accounts of employees or job applicants. Signed into law by Governor Mary Fallin, H.B. 2372, becomes effective November 1, 2014.
California - General
An employer that petitioned to compel arbitration one year after the employee filed his employment-related complaint did not waive its right to arbitrate the complaint, the California Court of Appeal has ruled, confirming the burden of proving a party waived its right to arbitration is a heavy one.
North Carolina - General
The Carolina Employer Summer 2014.
Arkansas
A non-competition agreement that prohibited employees from soliciting the employer’s “past, present or prospective future customers or clients” is overbroad, a federal district court in Arkansas has ruled, striking down the agreement and granting summary judgment in favor of two employees. Morgan v.
Tennessee - General
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed into law a bill removing individual liability for employment discrimination under the Tennessee Human Rights Act from supervisors or employer agents, and capping discriminatees’ “non-pecuniary” damages, among other things. The new law will apply to all cause
Louisiana - General
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has signed into law the Personal Online Account Privacy Protection Act. The Act prohibits employers and schools in Louisiana from requesting or requiring access to the personal e-mail, social media and other types of online accounts of employees and job applicants. It
California - General
As the days grow warmer, California employers with outdoor places of employment should think about compliance with California’s Heat Illness Prevention Regulations (Cal. Code of Regs. tit. 8, § 3395). To comply with the regulations, California employers should take four essential steps:
California - General
A trial court lacked authority to rule on the enforceability of an arbitration agreement when the parties had contracted to delegate questions about the agreement’s enforceability to the arbitrator, the California Court of Appeal has ruled, reversing the denial of arbitration in a wrongful discharge
Maryland
The Baltimore City Council has enacted the “Ban the Box Fair Criminal Record Screening Practices” Ordinance, which restricts the timing of pre-employment inquiries about a job applicant’s criminal history by certain private employers. The Ordinance will become effective August 13, 2014, 90 days afte
Pennsylvania - Restrictive Covenants
In a case of “first impression”, The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that a restrictive covenant entered into after employment has already commenced is unenforceable if not supported by separate valuable consideration. Socko v. Mid-Atlantic Systems of CPA, Inc., No. 1223 MDA 2013.
California - General
An arbitration and confidentiality agreement provided to car wash workers was unconscionable and unenforceable, the California Court of Appeal has ruled, denying arbitration in a class action for alleged California wage-hour law violations. Carmona v. Lincoln Millennium Car Wash, Inc., No. B248143 (
California - Cal/OSHA
Ambiguity in settlement agreements can sabotage finality and certainty as a recent California decision shows. Where a settlement agreement is silent regarding litigation costs, an employee may obtain mandatory costs as the prevailing party under state law as the settlement proceeds constituted the r
Minnesota - Human Rights Act
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has signed the Women’s Economic Security Act (“Act”) into law. The Act is a major piece of legislation aimed at improving working conditions for women that will have a significant impact on Minnesota businesses.
Tennessee - General
Tennessee has joined the growing number of states that prohibits employers, including government entities, from requesting or requiring access to the private social networking or online accounts of employees and job applicants. The Employee Online Privacy Act of 2014, signed by Governor Bill Haslam
Wisconsin - Restrictive Covenants
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court for “guidance” as to whether additional consideration is required to support a covenant not to compete entered into during an at-will employment relationship. The case, Runzheimer International, LTD v. Friedlen, involves an action