State Employment Law Articles

Under facts never before addressed by a California court, a California Court of Appeal recently ruled that when an on-duty employee injures an individual while engaging in arguably personal pursuits, the employer is still liable for the injuries. Vogt v. Herron Construction, No. E052434 (Fourth Dist

A new civil action for the misappropriation of trade secrets, with remedies for the aggrieved holder of a trade secret, would be created under legislation passed by the New Jersey General Assembly and the New Jersey Senate. The New Jersey Trade Secrets Act (A-921) must be signed by Governor Chris Ch

A bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly that would add “credit history” to the list of classes protected from discrimination under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. Assembly Bill 350 was introduced on October 31, 2011. This development follows the introduction of a bill addressing

On January 1, 2012, retailers must be in compliance with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010. Compliance with the Act is relatively simple: retailers are not required to take any affirmative action to ensure that products in their distribution channel do not emanate from compani

In the last hours of his opportunity to veto new legislation, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 459. Similar to a bill previously vetoed by former Governor Schwarzenegger and dubbed the "Job Killer Act" by business, SB 459, effective January 1, 2012, might be called by some critics the "Smal

The California Court of Appeal has held that judgment for an employer is proper under California law where the plaintiff failed to present sufficient evidence that she was subjected to severe or pervasive workplace harassment based on her gender. Brennan v. Townsend & O'Leary Enterprises, Inc., No.

In 2011, for the first time since 2003, California's legislative process was controlled by a governor and a legislature of the same party. Yet the results at the end of this year's session were not as one-sided as some had predicted or expected.

On October 9, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 646, which amends the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) to require certain public sector employers to submit their differences with a labor organization representing their employees to a "factfinding panel" for impasse resolution. The new la

California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed sweeping legislation aimed at affording pregnant women certain employment and insurance protections. Two sets of companion legislation, SB 299 and AB 592, along with SB 222 and AB 210, attempt to ensure that all pregnant women maintain their insurance

As a general rule, the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require an employer to pay an employee’s travel time between home and their regular place of work.

A bill has been introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly that would repeal the right of successful complainants to receive an award of compensatory and punitive damages in circuit court under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. Assembly Bill 289 was introduced on September 29, 2011.

New and revised employment laws from the Connecticut legislature’s latest session will affect all employers in the state. Here are some highlights...:

Effective January 1, 2012, California will impose significant restrictions on an employer’s ability to obtain a credit report for employment purposes.

On October 10, 2011, the Office of California Governor Jerry Brown announced that Governor Brown had signed AB 22, legislation that adds a new provision to the California Labor Code and amends the state's Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act (CCRAA)1 to restrict the discretion that private and pub

Georgia’s garnishment law places unique responsibilities on employers. They must serve and file an answer to the summons of garnishment at 30-day intervals throughout the life of a continuing garnishment, in addition to withholding and remitting a portion of the employee’s disposable earnings. F

The Washington Supreme Court has reaffirmed that employee tort claims alleging wrongful discharge in violation of public policy may be brought only in limited circumstances, where the public policy at issue is not adequately promoted through alternative mechanisms, such as statutory remedies or crim

While the Bratz case continues to dazzle onlookers, an interesting thing happened in a more low profile case. In Richmond Technologies, Inc. v. Aumtech Business Solutions, et al. [pdf], the Northern District of California issued an order granting in part the plaintiff’s motion for temporary restra

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has approved a measure amending his state's data breach notification law to increase protections for Illinois residents. The changes will become effective January 1, 2012.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has certified to New York’s highest state court, the New York Court of Appeals, this question of first impression: whether a plaintiff is barred from pursuing federal law discrimination claims under Title VII and the Americans with Disabili

On September 23, 2011, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn signed into law the Seattle Paid Sick Time and Paid Safe Time Ordinance. Effective on September 1, 2012, nearly all private sector employers must provide to employees who work in Seattle specified amounts of accrued, job-protected paid time off for pe