State Employment Law Articles

On June 30, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an approximately $40 billion state budget package. In exchange for increased funding for public schools in the state budget, Governor Wolf agreed to repeal Pennsylvania’s new overtime regulations , which were set to increase the minimum salary

On July 22, 2021, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) issued a temporary rule that expands the reasons employees can use leave under Oregon’s paid sick and safe leave law during a public health emergency. Under the rule, effective immediately and through January 17, 2022, eligible emplo

By: New Opinion Would Greatly Expand PAGA Litigation - But Will It Stand? Last week the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, dropped a bombshell on employers by opining that an employee has standing to pursue PAGA penalties even if she only claims to have suffered a Labor Code viol

On July 29, 2021, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi signed into law Act No. 15-2021 (Act 15). Act 15 amends Act No. 42 of July 9, 2017, also known as the Act to Manage the Study, Development and Research of Cannabis for Innovation, Applicable Standards and Limits (Medicinal Cannabis

On July 28, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance calling for masking measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

On June 24, 2021, Governor Lamont signed into law Public Act 21-69, which adds to Connecticut’s Fair Employment Practices Act an explicit ban on Connecticut employers inquiring into the ages of prospective employees “on an initial employment application.” The new law, An Act Deterring Age Discrimina

On Monday, July 26, 2021, the St. Louis County Department of Health issued a Face Covering Order (the “County Order”). In an effort of regional coordination, the St.

On July 27, 2021, Mayor Bill Peduto signed a new Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance , which will become Section 626B of the City of Pittsburgh Code. It requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave to full-time employees

In June, Cal-OSHA updated its COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), requiring unvaccinated employees to be masked in the workplace, except in certain situations, and permitting fully vaccinated employees to be maskless in the workplace in most situations. However, the ETS expressly provided t

On May 25, 2021, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 47, which amends Nevada’s noncompetition statute, NRS 613.195 and the Nevada Unfair Trade Practices Act. The changes will go into effect on October 1, 2021.

In a surprising move for what has historically been an extremely employer-friendly state, Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed two new bills ( Senate Bill 45 and House Bill 21 ) that significantly expand the protections for employees who assert claims of sexual harassment under the Texas Labor

On July 22, 2021 the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) issued Administrative Order No. 2021-509 (AO) providing that, in order to physically attend school, post-school educational institutions, or universities, personnel and students age 12 and older must be vaccinated against COVID-19. Accord

Rhode Island has joined the growing ranks of states that have enacted a sweeping pay equity statute. The Rhode Island law, which takes effect on January 1, 2023, amends the Rhode Island Equal Pay Law and places significant new burdens on both large and small businesses. The law seeks

Beginning July 25, 2021, employees can use Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WPFML) to care for more people.

Louisiana’s nondiscrimination law protecting “pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions” in employment (La. R.S. 23:341–42) was recently amended primarily by including an express reasonable accommodation requirement and adding a definition section providing reasonable accommodation exampl

In November 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) adopted Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards Order (COMPS) #37 , which went into effect on January 1, 2021. COMPS #37 , like its predecessor orders, outlined the requirements for employees to qualify for exemption from C

As concerns mount over the highly contagious Delta variant and the recent uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, on July 26, 2021, Governor Newsom ordered California state workers, healthcare workers and other employees who work in “high-risk congregate settings” to get inocula

The Chicago City Council amended its Paid Sick Leave Ordinance (“PSLO”) to clarify and expand the bases to take paid leave and to create a new action for wage theft. The wage theft provisions in the amended PSLO became effective on July 5, 2021, and the paid sick leave amendments will take effect on

The New York City Council amended New York City’s Fair Chance Act (FCA) to significantly expand the scope of protections for applicants and employees with criminal charges or arrests. The amendments are effective on July 29, 2021.

The First Special Session of the 130th Maine Legislature ended on July 19, 2021 with a flurry of votes on pending bills. Many of the newly-enacted laws, which were adopted with little debate, will significantly impact almost all employers in the Pine Tree state. Below is a brief summary