The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has added a new field of study to STEM Designated Degree Program List effective as of July 23, 2024: Environmental/Natural Resource Economics (03.0204).  This field applies economic concepts to analyze environmental issues like pollution, land use, and conservation policies, incorporating cost-benefit analyses and impact assessments. Greenberg Traurig:DHS Adds New […]

California employers have specific obligations to ensure their employees are well-informed about their rights and benefits under the workers’ compensation system. Employers must post a workers’ compensation informational poster in a conspicuous location frequented by employees. Effective January 1, 2025, the notice must also include an employee’s right to consult a licensed attorney and that attorney’s […]

California’s new “Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment” standard is now in effect as of July 23, 2024. The new regulation applies to most California workplaces where the indoor temperature reaches 82°F or higher.  The standard requires those employers to implement a written indoor heat illness prevention plan that includes procedures for accessing […]

On November 15, 2024, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide injunction against the “white collar” overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This decision temporarily halts these new rules from going into effect. Employers should continue to monitor and pay close attention to future court developments. Recently the […]

Federal regulators, states and cities continue to pass new workplace regulations through the calendar year.  This article summarizes each state’s notable labor and employment law updates. Littler:July is Still the New January! Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute’s Mid-Year Legislative Report

Several state and local minimum wage rates will increase in the latter half of 2024, with most of these changes effective on July 1, 2024. Littler:Rates Up, Dude – Surfing the Wave of U.S. Minimum Wage, Tipped, and Exempt Employee Pay Increases that Will Occur on July 1, 2024 Ogletree Deakins:2024 Midyear State and Local […]

New York State has converted unpaid lactation break into paid time. Effective June 19, 2024, employers must provide 30 minutes of paid break time for expressing breast milk for the employee’s nursing child. The New York State Department of Labor has issued revised materials, including an updated mandatory model policy, for the transition of workplace lactation […]

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Office of Labor Standards recently posted updates to its website regarding minimum wage obligations, paid leave and paid sick and safe leave, new fair work week thresholds, and updated required labor notices. The compliance deadline for these obligations is July 1, 2024. Littler:In Advance of July […]

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board unanimously voted to approve Cal/OSHA’s indoor heat rule at the June 20, 2024 Standards Board meeting.  The new standard will apply to all indoor work areas where the temperature equals or exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present. However, the standard does not apply to employees who telework from a […]

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) first updated enforcement guidance on workplace harassment in 25 years is broken down into the three components of a harassment claim: (1) the covered bases and causation; (2) discrimination respecting a term, condition, or privilege of employment; and (3) liability.  The following three articles discuss each component separately.  Jackson […]