State Employment Law Articles

Nevada has begun implementing the Nevada Employee Savings Trust (NEST) Program, which permits private-sector employees to make automatic payroll deductions into Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Employers that don’t offer retirement benefits must register with the NEST Program by September

Addressing an undecided issue under state law, the Supreme Court of Maryland recently held that the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) de minimis doctrine, which allows employers to exclude insignificant amounts of time from compensable work hours, applies to Maryland’s Wage Payment and Colle

Puerto Rico Governor Signs Two New Acts Addressing Arbitration and Preferences for Veterans Puerto Rico Governor Jennifer González recently signed into law two employment statutes, Act No. 37-2025 and Act No. 26-2025, governing arbitration and hiring preferences for veterans, respectively. tgelbman@

New Childbirth-Related Leave Entitlement for Many Granite State Employees in 2026 Many New Hampshire employers may be surprised to learn that a new leave law was buried in HB 2 , a bill “relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures” signed into law on June 27, 2025. Starting January 1,

Ohio Enacts Mini-WARN Act Requiring Notice Components in Addition to Federal WARN On July 1, 2025, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill No. 96 , most of which related to the state’s operating budget for fiscal year 2026-2027. However, the bill also added a new code section that includes a

Rhode Island Bans “Captive Audience” Meetings On July 2, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into law House Bill No. 5506 SUB A. With the stroke of a pen, Rhode Island joined the growing list of states to ban mandatory employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious and “political matter

On July 10, 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed legislation ( House Bill (HB) 567 ) that repeals the Missouri paid sick time statute and eliminates Missouri employers’ obligation to provide earned paid sick time to all Missouri employees.

Starting January 1, 2026, Minnesota employers must allow expanded breaks to all employees in Minnesota. Currently, employers are only required to provide “sufficient time to eat a meal” every eight hours of work, and “adequate time from work” to use the nearest restroom every four hours. This will c

On June 10, 2025, the Pittsburgh City Council passed an ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act (PSDA). The amendments include mandating accrual of leave at a slightly faster rate and higher annual accruals.

On June 14, 2025, the Maryland Department of Labor (MDOL) reissued proposed regulations to implement the Maryland Economic Stabilization Act , which requires employers to provide notice of a mass layoff or a reduction in force in certain circumstances. The proposed regulations are intended to provid

Missouri Governor Signs Bill Repealing Paid Sick Leave Law and Revising Minimum Wage Update Schedule – What Now? On July 10, 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law HB 567 , which repeals the statewide paid sick leave law voters approved at the November 2024 election that took effect on

On July 1, 2025, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) published a “Survivors of Violence and Family Members of Victims Right to Leave and Accommodations” notice . The CRD also published guidance in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the notice requirements. Both document

Puerto Rico Prohibits Discrimination Against Breastfeeding Mothers in the Workplace Puerto Rico Governor Jeniffer González has signed Act No. 29-2025 into law, modifying the Act to Regulate the Breastfeeding or Breast Milk Extraction Period , as amended (“Act 427-2000”), which provides certain nursi

TakeawaysIn the wrongful discharge case of Méndez Ruiz v. Techno Plastics Industries, Inc., the Court found an employee’s exhaustion of the 12-month Workers’ Compensation leave is not automatic grounds for a just cause termination.Puerto Rico does not recognize employment-at-will.Just cause analysis

On May 13, 2025, Washington State enacted Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1308 , which goes into effect on July 27, 2025. This new law amends RCW 49.12.240 and 49.12.250 , significantly changing employer’s obligations regarding employee access to personnel files. It replaces prior Washington State Depar

Washington Senate Bill 5041 Expands Unemployment Benefits to Striking and Locked-Out Workers Washington recently became the third state in the nation—joining New York and New Jersey—to offer unemployment benefits to workers on strike or locked out by their employers. Under the newly signed Senate Bi

The state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Law survived the legislative session with minimal change and the Department of Employment and Economic Development published its final rules on 06.16.25.

In Davis v. Benihana, Inc. , the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed the plaintiff-employee’s claims for retaliation under the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) and New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) finding that such claims were completely p

Proposed Regulations for Alaska Paid Sick Leave Law Provide Guidance to Employers Just in Time for July 1st Effective Date On June 25, 2025, the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development (Department) published proposed regulations interpreting Ballot Measure 1, Alaska’s new statewide Paid S

As their employees flock to Florida’s famous beaches, water parks, and pools this summer, Florida employers need to look out for a wave of new legislation that became effective on July 1, 2025. While over one hundred new laws are going into effect, what follows is a brief summary of