State Employment Law Articles

The Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (PR DOL) has issued FAQs regarding unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAQs were issued only in Spanish.

On April 15, 2020, Puerto Rico’s Secretary of the Department of Labor and Human Resources issued guidance discussing the basic elements employers are required to include in their plans to limit employee exposure to COVID-19 in compliance with Puerto Rico’s Safety and Health in Employment Act (PROSHA

On April 16, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order ("EO") N-51-20, which took immediate effect and requires certain food sector workers to receive COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL) during the pendency of any statewide stay-at-home orders by California’s Public Health Officer. In ad

Executive Summary: On April 16, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-51-20 (the “Order”) requiring employers in the Food Sector to (1) provide their employees with paid sick leave due to COVID-19 and (2) permit their employees working in a food facility to wash their hands

On April 13, 2020, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission passed an Emergency Amendment to the Commission’s Rules of Evidence, which was published April 16, 2020. The new rule provides that, whenever the employee claiming workers’ compensation coverage is a COVID-19 “First Responder or Front-

In an effort to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page has announced that as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 23, 2020, all non-essential businesses in St. Louis County, Missouri will be required to close. The order originally directed closure through 11:59 p.m. on April

New Jersey Senate Bill 2374 has expanded protections of the New Jersey Family Leave Act to employees taking time off to care for a family member during the COVID-19 outbreak

New Jersey has amended the Family Leave Act (NJFLA) and Temporary Disability Law (TDL) to expand the availability of job-protected leave and benefits for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 14, 2020, Governor Murphy signed legislation amending the New Jersey Family Leave Act and the Temporary Disability Benefits Law to expand an employee’s permissible reasons to take leave and to receive benefits due to COVID-19. This law, S2374, builds upon and revises some of the previous am

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill revising employers’ notice obligations for mass layoffs to create an exception for such actions necessitated by national emergencies, natural disasters, and other specific events.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine has issued an order requiring protections for critical workers who are employed at businesses that are authorized to maintain in-person operations during the COVID-19 emergency. The order took effect immediately on April 15, 2020, but doe

The Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor and Human Resources, Hon. Briseida Torres-Reyes, has issued a memorandum that provides recommendations to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for employees and requires employers to develop and implement a contingency plan against COVID-19 exposure in the wo

Employee misclassification is the focus of three new laws that passed in the Virginia General Assembly during its 2020 Session and signed by the Governor. One creates a private cause of action. Another prohibits retaliation against employees. The third gives investigative authority to the Department

Virginia has enacted a series of new laws that continue to redefine the employment landscape in the state. In addition to the Virginia Values Act, which fundamentally changes the legal rights and remedies available to employees who sue their employers under the Virginia Human Rights Act, a new compr

On April 15, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam extended Executive Order 53, which imposes restrictions on nonessential retail businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, for an additional two weeks. In a press briefing, the governor explained that statistical modeling from the University of Virgini

When the Democrats took control of the General Assembly in addition to the governorship in the November 2019 election, many predicted an expansion of workers’ rights. That prediction was realized with the 2020 Virginia General Assembly session. This included the recent passage and enactment of four

As Illinois employers ponder their futures amid the COVID-19 crisis, many are trying to determine whether some form of reducing employees’ hours is the solution. Many have inquired whether their employees can make up the difference in pay through unemployment compensation (UC) benefits through the I

New Jersey employers contemplating reductions in force can breathe a little easier, at least for a time.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed the state’s FY 2021 Education, Labor, Housing and Family Assistance Budget Bill into law (Chapter 56, S.7506-B, A.9506-B). The Budget Bill includes developments applicable to New York employers, covering such topics as paid sick leave, time off to vote, occu

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, M.D. issued an Order on April 15 aimed at preventing further spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. The Order was immediately effective, but it will not be enforced until 8:00 p.m. Sunday, April 19, 2020. Under the Order, life-sustaining businesses au