State Employment Law Articles

On August 11, 2021, Mayor Jim Kenney announced a new mask mandate for businesses and institutions that do not mandate vaccinations for employees, patrons, and guests within the City of Philadelphia.

Given the recent increase in COVID-19 positivity rates in Puerto Rico, on Thursday, August 5, 2021, Governor Pedro Pierluisi issued Executive Order No. 2020-062, adopting new vaccination measures for different sectors. This new executive order (EO) will take effect on August 16, 2021, and will conti

Florida employers can require employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations, submit records of such vaccination, and implement other safety measures for their workplaces notwithstanding national publicity suggesting that recent Florida rules, orders, and laws prohibit or discourage these public health m

Connecticut is requiring certain healthcare employees be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

In Levanoff v. Dragas, the California Court of Appeal surprised many of us and upheld an employer’s calculation of overtime due to non-exempt employees using the “rate in effect” method. Why does that matter?

Effective August 2, 2021, employees of the State of California must either show proof of full vaccination status or be tested for COVID-19 at least once a week and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as face coverings.

On August 5, 2021, the California Department of Public Health issued the first mandatory vaccination order in the country.

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Iowa state law preempts the City of Waterloo’s restriction on employers’ use of applicants’ criminal record history when making hiring decisions. Other aspects of the ordinance, however, remain legal and enforceable. The case is Iowa Ass’n of Bus. & Indus. v. Ci

California Assembly Bill (AB) 1003 would create a new type of grand theft in the state: a company’s “intentional theft of wages” of more than $950 from any individual employee, or $2,350 total from 2 or more employees, in a 12-month period. The bill requires that the theft be intentional,

On August 6, 2021 Governor Lamont issued Executive Order No. 13B mandating vaccination of all employees working at long-term care (LTC) facilities throughout Connecticut.1 The order also covers all contracted service providers and volunteers that have direct physical access to patients or residents.

Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi has issued an Executive Order ( EO-2021-058 ) making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all public employees in the Executive Branch. EO-2021-058, which goes into effect August 16, 2021, also recommends that all commercial establishments and private entities t

New Jersey is requiring employers in covered healthcare and high-risk congregate settings (“covered settings”) to establish a policy that: (1) mandates vaccinations or weekly testing for workers; (2) creates a system to track the results of the applicable testing requirements; and (3) creates a syst

On August 5, the California Department of Public Health issued an order requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all healthcare workers, allowing only narrow exemptions for medical reasons and religious beliefs. The order requires that covered workers be fully vaccinated (one dose of a one-dose vaccine o

On June 9, 2021, the Louisiana State Legislature passed House Bill (HB) No. 707, a measure that prohibits discrimination in employment based on criminal history records and that provides criteria for employers making hiring decisions in conjunction with criminal history records. This development wil

On September 29, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 2537, one of the latest in a series of legislative enactments designed to protect employees from COVID-19 exposure in the workplace.

On July 28, 2021, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an indoor mask mandate via executive order that requires “all persons in an entity or a public place [to] wear a facial covering or mask over the mouth and nose at all times when indoors.”

On August 2, 2021, the City and County of San Francisco updated Health Officer Order No. C19-07y, entitled “Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage and Reducing Disease Risks (Safer Return Together),” to require all individuals, including the fully vaccinated , to wear face coverings in indoor public

Over the past few years, cities have started to implement workplace regulation, an area previously reserved to federal and state governments. The hotel industry, which often is one of the primary drivers of a local economy, has been a particular focus.

On August 4, 2021, Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will create a rule requiring healthcare workers to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing if they are not vaccinated. Based on the governor’s announcement, OHA’s rule will require healthcare workers to show the

On August 3, 2021, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the nation’s first vaccine mandate applying not only to employees, but also patrons of indoor dining facilities, indoor fitness facilities, and indoor entertainment facilities. The measure is described as the “The Key to NYC Pass,” and