On August 30, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 778, delaying mandatory anti-harassment training deadlines, and resolving confusion about retraining requirements for certain employees who already received training in 2018 or 2019.
Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894. Although the world of employment has obviously changed significantly over the last 125 years, the pace of workplace transformation seems to have accelerated in the past decade.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released guidance in an FAQ to employers as to how they should report non-binary employees on Form EEO-1.
In line with recently passed legislation in New York and California, Illinois’ legislature rallied to create a bill that would help increase employee protections by combating discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
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.
On August 6, 2019, the 5th Circuit dealt the EEOC a significant setback, largely affirming the district court’s decision that the EEOC violated the APA in issuing its 2012 Enforcement Guidance on criminal history.
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.
Although most state legislatures have adjourned for 2019 or are in recess, those still in active session finalized several new employment laws in July.
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.
