State Employment Law Articles

On April 19, 2020, the New York City Commissioner for Health and Mental Hygiene signed an Order to compel persons who self-identify as requiring mandatory isolation due to COVID-19 to isolate in their home or another appropriate location. The Order enables these individuals to qualify for immediate

On April 22, 2020, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed amendment to a bill that will re-establish a work-sharing program in Virginia.1 The amended work-share bill received broad bi-partisan support in both chambers of the legislature. As a result, on January 1, 20

In the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, a number of counties and cities in California have issued Orders requiring residents and visitors to wear face coverings when in public. Additionally, many of the other counties that have not issued face covering mandates have strongly recommended that

On April 28, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to enact an interim urgency ordinance to require employers with 500 or more employees within the United States to provide supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) to covered employees immediately until December 31, 2020 (unl

On April 27, 2020, Colorado began its phased relaxation of the statewide stay-at-home restrictions in place since March 25, 2020, with Governor Jared Polis’s issuance of Executive Order D 2020 044, styled the “Safer at Home” Order. Colorado has thus joined the growing number of states permitting cer

In accordance with the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) amendments under Public Act 101-0221 (known as the Workplace Transparency Act), all Illinois employers must provide mandatory sexual harassment training to all employees by December 31, 2020, and annually thereafter.

Massachusetts has issued emergency regulations allowing employers to verify an individual’s identity by teleconference to comply with the state Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) law during the current state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

The unprecedented economic conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced many Wisconsin employers to implement layoffs, partial furloughs, pay reductions and other painful employment actions. With uncertainty surrounding the eventual reopening of businesses, other Wisconsin employers

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has introduced the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery, a three-stage plan for the state to restart its economy and begin lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Virginia’s legislation raising the hourly minimum wage has cleared its final hurdle and is set to take effect on May 1, 2021.

On April 27, 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment amended its Health Emergency Leave with Pay (HELP) Rules, which require certain employers to provide employees paid sick leave for a covered COVID-19 reason. The HELP Rules were originally issued on March 11, 2020, and minor amendmen

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has released The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health, outlining six principles or milestones that will guide the state in deciding whether to ease the stay-at-home restrictions implemented on March 21, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Jersey State Director of Emergency Management has issued an Order designating additional businesses as “essential retail” and permitting auto dealerships to provide test drives and pickups of vehicles as the state’s COVID-19 statistics continue to improve. The Order marks what may be the fir

On April 23, 2020, the Oregon Supreme Court declined to review a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals in which employers were held to a standard of “strict liability” for failing to ensure that non-exempt employees take their full 30-minute meal breaks.

Illinois has been under a “Stay-at-Home” Executive Order since March 20, 2020. Among its mandates, the original Stay-At-Home Order closed “Non-Essential Businesses,” with the exception of Minimum Basic Operations. On April 23, 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that Illinois’ Stay-at-Ho

On April 9, 2020, the Massachusetts’ Department of Criminal Justice Information Systems (DCJIS) passed an Emergency Regulation to address the social distancing limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any entity requesting criminal offender record information through DCJIS’s iCORI database (CORI) m

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is urging a gradual, phased re-opening of the economy — not just on a statewide basis, but on an individual business basis, too. Kentucky has adopted a phased reopening plan called Healthy at Work. The Healthy at Work plan follows the federal and state protocols for li

On April 24, 2020, Michigan Governor Whitmer issued an Executive Order extending her April 3, 2020 Stay Home, Stay Safe Order through May 15, 2020, while providing rules for certain businesses permitted to resume operations. The Order also permits Michigan residents to leave their home or place of r

To gradually reopen businesses in the state while continuing to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order (EO) 2020-59 would permit some businesses to resume operations if they meet certain, substantial requirements.

On April 27, 2020, Colorado will enter a new phase in its fight against COVID-19, when the “Stay-at-Home” Order issued by Governor Polis expires and is replaced by what the governor has labeled relaxed “Safer at Home” restrictions. While the governor has not yet issued an executive order setting for