State Employment Law Articles

Compliance with the New York Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (NY WARN) Act just got harder (again). On June 21, 2023, the New York Department of Labor’s amendments to the NY WARN regulations took effect and some of the changes are sweeping. Employer Coverage Under the amended regulatio

On June 9, 2023, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker signed into law HB 2907 and HB 3396, amending the Illinois Labor Disputes Act (“Act”) to expand protections for striking workers. The new law restricts defensive measures available to employers affected by picket activity. Specifically, HB 2907 limit

The Rhode Island legislature recently moved two bills forward that would limit employers’ use of restrictive covenants with employees. On June 19, 2023, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed a bill, Senate Bill (S) 0342, that would prohibit the use of nondisclosure or non-disparagement ag

On May 19, 2023, the Illinois General Assembly passed substantial amendments to the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, 820 ILCS 175, through House Bill (HB) 2862. The amendments expand the rights of day and temporary workers and mandate increased safety oversight by both day and temporary labor s

On June 14, 2023, House Bill (HB) No. 915—a bill the Texas Legislature passed on May 30, 2023—became law. HB 915 adds Chapter 104A, “Reporting Workplace Violence,” to the Texas Labor Code and requires all employers, regardless of size, to post a notice to employees regarding the reporting of instanc

Tennessee has permanently extended its COVID-19 statute under an enactment that removed the sunset provision of the state’s COVID-19 statute, which was set to expire on July 1, 2023.

The New York State legislature has passed a bill banning all non-compete agreements for all workers, regardless of their salary level or job function. The bill now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul.

New York City has become the first major U.S. city to establish a minimum pay-rate for app-based restaurant delivery workers. The new law goes into effect July 12, 2023.

The New York State Assembly and Senate have overwhelmingly passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act ( A.6040 ). The legislation heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office for her to sign or veto.

THE NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION CONSIDERED WHETHER CONTRACTING COVID-19 IS SUFFICIENT FOR AN EMPLOYEE TO CLAIM THEY QUALIFY AS AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY UNDER THE NEW JERSEY LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

Non-compete agreements may soon be unlawful in New York. The New York State Assembly passed A1278B on June 20, and the New York State Senate previously passed its counterpart bill, Senate Bill 3100A , earlier this month. If signed by the governor, the bill would amend the New York Labor

In the final hours of the 2023 legislative session, the New York Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1029C / Senate Bill 7551A , the “Clean Slate Act.” If signed by Governor Hochul, it will provide for the automatic sealing of the records of certain convictions after specified periods of time. The

On June 20, 2023, the New York State Assembly approved one of two bills concerning non-compete agreements that the New York State Senate just recently passed. Bill No. S3100A, which would prohibit employers from using non-compete agreements, passed the Assembly and is on its way to the desk of Gover

Ahh. A bit of good news. Small California employers and non-profits that paid California COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) in 2022 may apply for grants up to $50,000. The “California Small Business and Nonprofit COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Relief Grant Program” will award fund

The New York State legislature has passed a bill banning all non-compete agreements for all workers, regardless of their salary level or job function. The bill now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul.

During the 2023 legislative session, Minnesota became the latest state to offer statewide paid family and medical leave, providing partial wage replacement for eligible employees for 12–20 weeks in a 52-week period for medical leave, bonding, caring for a family member, safety leave, or a qualifying

The New York Legislature took action at the end of the 2023 session to prohibit mandatory employer meetings on “religious or political matters,” passing Senate Bill S4982 / Assembly Bill 6604 on June 10. If signed into law, the bill would create a right for employees to refuse to

On June 7, 2023, Governor Tina Kotek signed into law Senate Bill 999, a measure that will more closely align certain provisions of Paid Leave Oregon with the Oregon Family Leave Act.

Minnesota will soon prohibit employers from requiring employees to attend political or religious meetings, including talks about labor unions. Additionally, similar legislation passed by the New York legislature will likely become effective shortly.

The final CPRA regulations clear the way for California employers to finalize their CPRA compliance program before the July 1, 2023 enforcement date. The regulations clarify some points left unclear by the statute, including that the notice at collection may be combined with the privacy policy.