State Employment Law Articles

By: California Prop. 32: A Closer Look at Minimum Wage Increases Should Proposition 32 be voted into law this year, California faces yet another minimum wage hike. Current Minimum Wage Landscape The Golden State has surely lived up to its name, offering employees one of the highest state minimum wag

Signed into law at the beginning of 2024, colloquially known as the New Jersey Data Protection Act (NJDPA), N.J. Stat. § 56:8-166.4 et seq. will go into effect on January 15, 2025, as New Jersey joins eighteen other states with comprehensive data privacy laws. Businesses affected typically include l

During its most recent term, the California Supreme Court issued several decisions that may affect California employers. We summarize those rulings below. Clarification on Compensable Time The Court took up an appeal from the Ninth Circuit in

The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has just issued some much-needed guidance, through Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), on whether enrollment and use of E-Verify is prohibited in Illinois for private employers that do not have federal contracts. The answer is NO.

New Jersey is set to join the growing number of states mandating pay transparency in job postings. Senate Bill 2310 will require most employers to

On September 6, 2024, the Appellate Division of the Massachusetts District Court held in Nunez v. Syncsort Incorporated that a retention bonus that the defendant-employer allegedly owed to the plaintiff, its former employee, did not constitute wages within the meaning of the Massachusetts Wage Act.

The SECURE Act/SECURE Act 2.0 In 2019, the federal Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was passed with the purpose of helping employees save for retirement. In 2022, Congress amended the law to

On June 29, 2024, Governor Newsom signed into law an amendment to California Code 1770, clarifying the scope of SB 478. Under SB 478 and previously published guidance from the attorney general, California restaurants were effectively prohibited from charging service fees or other surcharges, which m

In October 2023, California enacted three laws that sought to impose broad new climate-related disclosure requirements on many companies conducting business in the state.

On June 24, 2024, the Legislature of the Virgin Islands overrode Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s veto of the Fair Chance for Employment Act . The act is intended to prohibit the automatic disqualification of applicants based upon a conviction or a criminal record.

By: LWDA Publishes PAGA Frequently Asked Questions The California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (“LWDA”) recently published Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) and the recent amendments that impact PAGA claims after June 19, 2024. Previously, CD

In the wake of this summer’s legislative Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) reforms, the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) has released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page on its website to explain the

Following other states and cities across the nation, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 988, the Freelance Worker Protection Act (FWPA), into law on September 28, 2024. This new law aims to provide greater protections to freelance workers ( e.g. , “independent contractors”).

Following the lead of other California cities and counties, the County of San Diego recently passed a local fair chance ordinance restricting the use of criminal history in employment decisions. Effective October 10, 2024, employers that have five or more employees and are located or doing business

The Maryland Department of Labor recently released key questions and answers regarding the state’s Wage Range Transparency Act , which took effect on October 1, 2024, amending the prior Equal Pay for Equal Work laws found in Sections 3-301, 3-304.2, 3-305, and 3-308(e) of the Maryland Labor and Empl

Financial institutions, insurance companies, and other businesses regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) may need to take additional steps to comply with certain NYDFS cybersecurity regulations scheduled to take effect on November 1, 2024.

By: A Reminder to California Employers: Time Off to Vote Notice Requirement Approaching on October 26 With the 2024 election fast approaching in a few short weeks, California employers should refresh themselves on complying with the state’s voting leave and posting requirements for employees. Employ

By: Former DraftKings’ Employee Loses Bet On California’s No Non-Compete Law In what might be the first published case discussing California’s newest anti-non-compete laws, Cal. Bus & Prof. Code § 16600.5(a) & (b), DraftKings successfully obtained a preliminary injunction and defeated the appeal of

On July 2, 2024, Los Angeles City Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martínez and Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion to the City Council to expand the fair workweek predictable scheduling ordinance to fast-food workers. On September 25, 2024, various business interests filed letters of opposition to the pro

A leading New York City contractor association is spearheading an effort to raise awareness about the importance of mental wellness in the construction industry and seek legislative reform.