State Employment Law Articles

Washington State to Require Unpaid Leave and Safety Accommodations for Victims of a Hate Crime Effective January 1, 2026, Washington SB 5101 will require employers to provide leave and safety accommodations to employees who are victims of a hate crime or have a family member who is a victim of

Amendment to Washington Healthy Starts Act Expands Pregnancy Accommodation Obligations and Mandates Paid Lactation Breaks Effective January 1, 2027, SB 5217 expands Washington’s Healthy Starts Act (“Act”) to apply the law to employers of any size, require scheduling flexibility for postpartum appoin

Investigation records have typically been considered public records under Washington State’s public disclosure law, absent a specific exemption or an established legal privilege. On May 15, 2025, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law House Bill (HB) 1934 , a measure that received overwhel

In this episode, Jen explains Governor Newsom’s return-to-office mandate for state employees, which is effective on July 1.

The New York Retail Worker Safety Act is now in effect as of June 2, 2025. Following months of anticipation and planning, covered employers in New York State will now have to comply with the act’s workplace violence prevention policy, training program, and notice requirements. Just in time for the

A recent New York Court of Appeals decision has significant implications for municipal employers and workers’ compensation insurance carriers in New York

With summer unofficially starting and temperatures in areas throughout California recently reaching near or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Cal/OSHA is urging employers to help protect workers from heat illness at both outdoor and indoor worksites.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in hiring and promotion is undergoing regulatory scrutiny in California

Pennsylvania House Bill 183 introduces substantial amendments to Section 306(c)(22) of the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act

Employers looking to hire workers in New Jersey will need to comply with the state’s new pay transparency requirements under a state law set to take effect on June 1, 2025. The law, which was signed by Governor Phil Murphy in November 2024, will require employers to disclose compensation and

On May 19, 2025, the Minnesota Legislature’s regular session adjourned without completing the two-year budget, leaving a long list of outstanding bills in limbo. The Minnesota Legislature will now enter a special session to tackle unfinished business. Despite the regular session’s anti-climactic end

Illinois Federal Court Refuses to Halt Equal Benefits Provisions of Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act On May 23, 2025, Judge Thomas Durkin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois refused to enjoin enforcement of amendments to the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor

In February 2025, Governor Hochul signed an amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act extending the effective date of some of its provisions to June 2, 2025. The amendment to the New York Retail Worker Safety Act modified several provisions of the legislation, which has an overall purpose o

New Jersey may adopt new worker-friendly regulations for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee that could make it very difficult for businesses to demonstrate that workers are independent contractors and open the door to additional liability for misclassification.

As has become an almost annual tradition, New Jersey legislators have proposed bills that would severely limit noncompete agreements. With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) no longer seeking to ban noncompetes, the battle has returned to states, and New Jersey is on the front line—and this could be

Since April 2024, state employees have been required to return to the office at least two days per week. However, in March of this year, Governor Newsom announced that, effective July 1, 2025, most state

In this episode, Jen discusses a recent California court decision upholding meal period waivers and explains how to make them enforceable.

Washington State Passes (Yet Another) Paid Family and Medical Leave Amendment, and It’s a Big One Washington employers take note: Significant changes to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML) law are on the horizon that will impact every employer in the Evergreen State. The bill amen

TakeawaysThe Florida Legislature’s recently passed CHOICE Act allows covered non-compete and garden leave agreements to extend for up to four years — double the current amount of enforcement time.The Act makes it significantly easier for employers to obtain an injunction and enforce covered agreemen

Connecticut Legislature Overrules State Supreme Court on Workers’ Compensation Heeding outcry by employers, the Connecticut legislature has nullified the state Supreme Court’s interpretation of temporary partial disability provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act. tgelbman@littler.com Tue, 05/27/