As we turn the calendar to April, state legislatures are starting to hit their stride. Bills introduced earlier this year continue to advance, with more than 400 labor and employment-related measures remaining under consideration across the nation.
Even outside the Capital Beltway, this has been a strange year. As April Fools’ Day approaches, we pause to review some of the more bizarre labor and employment opinions and developments from the last year.
On March 27, 2017, President Trump signed a joint resolution of disapproval (H.J. Res. 37) to block the rule implementing Executive Order 13,673, Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, otherwise known as the "blacklisting" rule.
On March 14, 2017, with little to no fanfare, the City of Los Angeles Office of Wage Standards revised its rules implementing the Minimum Wage Ordinance, which includes mandatory paid sick leave requirements.
On March 13, 2017, Brazil's President Michel Temer signed into law new regulations concerning the payment, distribution, tax withholdings, and reporting of tips, whether voluntarily given by customers or charged by employers as a service fee.
Employers that sponsor an employee retirement plan in Puerto Rico must review plan amendments and/or restatements adopted during 2016 to determine whether they need to submit their plan documents to the Puerto Rico Treasury for qualification.
On March 21, 2017, the Supreme Court affirmed that Lafe Solomon, who was appointed by former President Obama to serve as acting general counsel to the NLRB, was prohibited from continuing to serve in that role following his formal nomination.