State Employment Law Articles

Efforts to legalize marijuana failed in three states and succeeded in one state on November 5, 2024.

Takeaways:A recent Colorado Supreme Court decision deviates from federal law by requiring holiday incentive pay to be included in the regular rate for overtime purposes.Employers covered by Colorado’s COMPS Order 39 should not follow the FLSA when considering holiday pay for purposes of overtime cal

An amendment to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, imposes many new obligations on employers regarding the use of E-Verify – some that go beyond federal E-Verify requirements. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has published guidance on the law

Effective November 21, 2024, Massachusetts employers covered by the Massachusetts Earned Sick Time law must now provide expanded benefits under the Law to address various types of reproductive losses. Employers will want to be aware of the coverage requirements to respond accordingly to employee req

New statewide paid sick time law would take effect on October1, 2025. Law would allow employers to limit annual accrual and use to either 40 or 56 hours, but is silent on carryover caps. Notice obligations would begin before law takes effect.

New statewide paid sick and safe time law would take effect on May 1, 2025. Law would allow employers to limit annual use to either 40 or 56 hours, limit carryover to 80 hours, but is silent on accrual caps. Notice obligations would begin before law takes effect.

Takeaways

TakeawaysElection day in Puerto Rico is Nov. 5, 2024.Law No. 58-2020 requires employers to grant employees that vote in Puerto Rico two hours of paid leave to vote, although constraints apply.Employers may be subject to penalties for noncompliance.Related link2024 Election: What Employers Need to Kn

Missouri voters have approved a state ballot measure that will increase the state minimum wage starting in 2025 and provide employees in the state with paid sick and safe leave, becoming one of the latest to join the growing list of states with some form of earned paid sick time.

On November 6, 2024, New Yorkers across the state voted “yes” on the Equal Rights Amendment, commonly known as Proposition 1 . The newly passed Equal Rights Amendment expands New Yorkers’ constitutional civil rights and codifies protections against discrimination in the state constitution.

Nebraska voters approved medical cannabis measures, while voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected ballot initiatives to legalize

Although cannabis remains illegal under federal law, that has not prevented the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) against cannabis-related businesses. Indeed, on July 18, 2024, OSHA’s Englewood and Denver area offices

On March 27, 2024, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law House Bill (HB) 4127 , which will impose notice and recordkeeping requirements on covered employers of certain warehouse workers when using quotas to measure worker productivity. The law becomes effective January 1, 2025.

New York City employees may soon be entitled to take sick leave to care for their pets if a newly introduced bill is passed by the city council.

Just over one year after the Colorado Privacy Act Rules took effect, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office filed a set of proposed draft amendments that, if implemented, would significantly modify the Rules to reflect recent changes to the CPA. Earlier this year, Governor Jared Polis signed House B

Louisiana noncompete agreements must comply with a statute—La. R.S. 23:921—to be enforceable. Does this statute also apply to employee nonsolicitation—or “anti-poaching”—agreements? A Louisiana appellate court recently held it does not, but such agreements must nevertheless be reasonable in scope an

In 2016, the California Legislature enacted a law increasing the minimum wage in steps over a period of years. After reaching $15/hour, the law ties the minimum wage to the U.S. Consumer Price Index. Currently,

Employers in Puerto Rico may have to allow some employees time off to vote on Election Day. Our colleagues Juan Felipe Santos, Ana B. Rosado-Frontanés

As of Nov. 21, 2024, Massachusetts employees may use earned sick time to address physical and mental health needs following a pregnancy loss or failed

On September 29, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) No. 729 into law, expanding fertility insurance coverage in California. This historic measure marks a significant shift in reproductive health policy and aims to alleviate the financial burden associated with fertility treatments f