New York has amended its Penal Law to increase the criminal penalties for wage theft, a form of criminal larceny.  The amended law takes effect immediately.  New York employers should review their pay policies and practices to ensure they are in compliance. The Governor of New York has also signed four bills amending the New York Labor Law, including the notification […]

New York City has recently adopted changes to the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) to clarify coverage issues for telecommuters and hybrid employees, employee headcount and coverage thresholds, and advance notice and documentation requirements.  These changes will take effect from October 15, 2023. Littler:New York City Amends Safe and Sick Time Regulations

Beginning January 1, 2024, employers located within designated Illinois counties and townships, which include the City of Chicago and Cook County, and have at least 50 covered employees in a covered location will be required to provide employees who use public transportation a “pre-tax commuter benefit”.  To qualify for the benefit, an employee must average at […]

California has recently amended its Business & Professions Code Section 16600 to prohibit an employer from entering into or attempting to enforce a non-compete agreement regardless of whether the contract was signed outside of California.  The law goes into effect on January 1, 2024. Proskauer:Prohibition Against Non-Competes Expands in California

The EEOC has announced that the 2022 EEO-1 reporting period will begin on October 31, 2023, and employers will have until December 5, 2023 to submit their reporting.  All private employers that have at least 100 employees are required to file the EEO-1 form annually, detailing the racial, ethnic and gender composition of their workforce. Baker […]

There have been extreme weather conditions throughout the country, including fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. When natural disasters strike and employees cannot work because of them, companies are faced with numerous federal and state employment-related issues. This article explains how to address them. SheppardMullin:Employers Under Fire: How to Address Employee Pay and Related Issues When Faced with […]

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released an updated technical assistance document detailing how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers job applicants and employees with visual disabilities. The guidance includes examples of questions an employer cannot ask an applicant. SheppardMullin:EEOC Releases Updated Guidance on Visual Disabilities in the Workplace EEOC:Visual Disabilities in […]

For the second year in a row, the manufacturing industry has fallen victim to more cyberattacks than any other major business sector.  This article explains the importance of having contingency plans to mitigate vulnerability to cyber threats. Jackson Lewis:Dealing with the Growing Threat of Cyberattacks in Manufacturing Sector: What Employers Need to Know

The first, effective immediately, amends the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act (DTLSA).  Illinois employers who use temporary employees are now required to provide the staffing company with information regarding their regular employees’ job duties, pay, and benefits, allowing the staffing company to comply with new equal pay and equal benefits obligations. In the second bill, starting January 1, 2025, Illinois employers with […]

The Texas legislature meets only for approximately six months every other year. During this most recent session, many employment-related legislations were signed into law.  This article summarizes some of these new laws and how they impact Texas employers. Littler:Texas Governor Signs Preemption Bill, CROWN Act, and Other Legislation into Law