State Employment Law Articles

TakeawaysFlorida’s CHOICE Act diverges sharply from national trends, expanding rather than restricting employers’ power to safeguard their business interests. The new law makes preliminary injunctions a default remedy, burdening employees to prove why an injunction should be dissolved.Questions rema

California employers have long been subject to the state’s Fair Chance Act, which restricts when and how they may consider an applicant’s criminal history. But in 2025, new local laws—especially in Los Angeles County—are adding

Connecticut employers, take note: Public Act No. 25-30/S.B. No. 1221 (“An Act Making Changes to the Connecticut Retirement Security Program”), effective July 1, 2025, has introduced a new enforcement framework for the MyCTSavings retirement program and with it, financial consequences for noncomplian

New York State recently finalized regulations requiring employers to notify current and former employees who worked in Lower Manhattan and Western Brooklyn during and in the months after the September 11th terrorist attacks of their potential eligibility for benefits from two federal compensation fu

TakeawaysWashington’s mini-WARN law, “Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act,” becomes effective 07.27.25.It requires employers with 50 or more employees to give a 60-day notice prior to certain layoffs or business closings.Employers contemplating layoffs or business cl

TakeawaysCalifornia exempts “the building and construction trades” from its bar on employer discrimination based on an employee’s off-duty use of marijuana.Construction employers may continue to use urine drug testing for marijuana and to take adverse employment actions against applicants and employ

TakeawaysThe New York City Council passed several bills providing additional protections to app-based food delivery workers, including entitling a larger number of delivery workers to the $21.44 minimum pay-rate.App-based grocery delivery workers are among those included in the expanded coverage.Som

On July 1, 2025, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill No. 96 , which, in addition to establishing the state’s operating budget for the 2026–2027 fiscal year, introduced a new mini-WARN statute, Ohio Revised Code § 4113.31 (Ohio WARN), requiring employers to provide notice of certain plant clo

In 2019, California became the first state to pass the CROWN Act —short for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. This legislation prohibits discrimination based on natural hair textures and protective hairstyles commonly associated with race, such as braids, locs, and twists.

New York Legislature Passes “Trapped at Work Act” Proposing to Restrict Employment Promissory Notes In a significant development for employers across the Empire State, the New York Legislature passed Assembly Bill A584B/S4070B in the final days of the 2025 session. This bill is known as the “Trapped

Courts Clarify California Whistleblower Law Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court provided helpful guidance on whistleblower retaliation cases. The Court of Appeal addressed who is a prevailing party entitled to fee and cost recovery under Labor Code section 1102.5

Texas Makes Changes to Requirements for Health Care Provider Noncompetes and Limits Confidentiality Agreements Related to Sexual Abuse Noncompete Agreement Changes for Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals tgelbman@littler.com Tue, 07/22/2025 - 09:54

On June 23, 2025, Governor Jennifer González signed Act 29-2025 , amending Puerto Rico’s Act 427-2000, “Act to Regulate Breastfeeding and Breast Milk Extraction Periods,” and strengthening protections for nursing employees. These protections complement those provided under the federal PUMP for Nursi

Get a snapshot of the recent NY State Workers’ Compensation cases we found most interesting in the Q2 2025 issue of the Workers’ Compensation Appellate Roundup.

Oregon recently enacted House Bill (HB) 2957 , which affects statutes of limitations in employment cases when individuals file a charge with Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). HB 2957 became effective on June 24, 2025.

On July 17, 2025, the California State Auditor’s Office released a comprehensive report ( Report No. 2024-115 ) highlighting significant deficiencies within the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). The audit, which reviewed sixty case files from fiscal years 2019–20 through 2023–24

The (Less-Than-Golden) State of Confidentiality Provisions in California It is well known that California takes a dim view towards restrictive covenants in the workplace. Business & Professions Code Section 16600 prohibits employee non-compete agreements, stating that “every contract by which anyone

Rhode Island Becomes First State to Mandate Workplace Accommodations for Menopause On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into law House Bill No. 6161, making Rhode Island the first state in the nation to expressly require employers to provide workplace accommodations for applic

Summer vacations are in full swing, and so are wage-hour risks for California employers. Whether it's a quick email from the beach or a work call squeezed in between sightseeing, even a few minutes of off-the-clock

News of an Employee’s Arrest or Pending Criminal Charges Poses a Dilemma for California Employers Every day, the press reports on arrests for one reason or another in California and other states. Many of those arrested have jobs. In turn, the employers of the arrestees in California are confronted w