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by Kevin C. McCormick Maryland’s new law prohibiting discrimination against transgender individuals in areas of employment, housing, credit, and public accommodations goes into effect October 1. The Fairness for All Marylanders Act passed the legislature in March and was signed by Governor Martin O’Malley in May. It adds “gender identity” to Maryland’s existing laws that […]
by Kevin C. McCormick Maryland’s new Parental Leave Act (PLA), which grants unpaid parental leave benefits to employees working for some employers too small to be eligible for leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), will take effect October 1. The PLA requires employers with 15 to 49 employees to provide unpaid […]
by Gregory L. Silverman A New Hampshire law taking effect August 25 requires healthcare employers to take action against substance abuse in their facilities. The new law requires all hospitals, home healthcare providers, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult daycare centers, birthing centers, dialysis centers, and […]
by Bonnie Boryca After an attempt to pass a minimum wage increase in Nebraska came up short in this year’s legislative session, the issue is set to go to voters in the November election. The Nebraska secretary of state’s office has announced that it has verified enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot. […]
by Jeffrey A. Gruen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed the state’s “ban the box” legislation, meaning that most employers will be prohibited from asking applicants about their criminal histories until the conclusion of the first job interview. The legislature passed the Opportunity to Compete Act in June, and Christie signed it on August […]
by Andrew J. Sommer and Alka Ramchandani San Francisco’s new “ban the box” law, titled the Fair Chance Ordinance, will limit the timing and scope of inquiries into an applicant’s or employee’s criminal history when it takes effect August 13. In addition to banning inquiries into criminal history on job applications, the ordinance also places […]
by Steven L. Brenneman Fox, Swibel, Levin & Carroll, LLP On July 21, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, which will prohibit most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting criminal background checks until after […]
by Jodi R. Bohr An amendment to Arizona’s law addressing leave rights for victims of juvenile offenses goes into effect on July 24, making the law on juvenile offenses mirror the law addressing leave rights for victims of criminal offenses. During its second regular session, the 51st Arizona Legislature amended Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § […]
by Josh Wood and H. Mark Adams Louisiana’s new Personal Online Account Privacy Protection Act (House Bill 340) goes into effect August 1. It precludes employers from requesting or requiring employees and job applicants to disclose any username or password that allows access to their personal online accounts. The law prohibits employers from discharging or […]
by Dinita L. James A new Arizona law going into effect July 24 means employees who are let go with severance pay won’t be eligible for unemployment benefits right away. The law adds a new section to Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-621 to define severance pay, a term that was undefined in earlier legislation, which […]