On August 8, 2019, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance, creating new requirements for Minneapolis employers and giving the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights enforcement power.
New Jersey recently enacted its Wage Theft Law, transforming the state’s wage and hour laws into one of the most robust in the country. The law substantially expands the civil and criminal recourse available for nonpayment of wages and retaliation.
Podcast topics include the nomination of Eugene “Gene” Scalia to be Secretary of Labor, current leadership in the Department and its regulatory agenda and discussion of several significant rulemakings.
Toledo, Ohio recently adopted the Pay Equity Act to Prohibit the Inquiry and Use of Salary History in Hiring Practices. The ordinance generally prohibits employers or their agents from asking about, screening or relying on the wage history of applicants.
The pay gap – or paying women and other historically marginalized groups less for the same or substantially similar work – has increasingly been in the media spotlight. Politicians have also taken note.
On July 31, 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 834 into law, strengthening the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003. Key changes take effect on September 29, 2019 and include a ban on the solicitation of salary history data from applicants.