On June 20, 2022, Governor Pedro Pierluisi signed into law Act No. 41-2022, instituting drastic changes to labor and employment laws in Puerto Rico and extending employment rights for employees in the private sector.
On June 3, 2022, the New York Legislature passed Senate Bill 8922, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA), which if signed into law, would significantly further regulate the working conditions of warehouse workers in New York State.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently affirmed a district court finding that the Massachusetts Wage Act did not apply to a person who mostly lived and worked in Florida.
During the final days of its most recent legislative session, the New York State Legislature passed a bill (S8369B) that would mandate contractual forms and terms for businesses that use “freelance workers.”
On May 11, 2022, the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion giving a big win to energy-sector companies by concluding that a directional driller was an independent contractor rather than an employee covered by the FLSA.
On May 13, 2022, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law SB3146, amending the provisions of the Illinois One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA), which addresses both day of rest and meal break requirements for employees in the state.
The California Supreme Court has held that meal period and rest break violations can also trigger derivative claims for waiting time penalties and wage statement penalties.
The New York State Senate is poised to pass an employee-friendly bill that would amend New York’s lien law to enable employees to, upon filing a wage claim, obtain a temporary lien against their employer’s (or alleged employer’s) assets.
On April 20, 2022, Mississippi became the last state in the nation to enact an equal pay law. The new law, which takes effect July 1, 2022, follows the liability standard of the federal Equal Pay Act.
