Three months into the new legislative year, with all but a handful of state legislatures currently in session, several employment law trends for 2025 have emerged.
On January 2, 2025, then-President Biden signed into law the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (Dole Act), a bipartisan bill that expands healthcare and other benefits for veterans.
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario dismissed a probationary employee’s claim that they were discriminated against with respect to employment because of disability contrary to the Human Rights Code when they were fired during their probationary period.
On February 21, 2025, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 4002, which, effective immediately, revise minimum wage, tip, and paid sick leave standards Michigan employers were expecting to take effect that day.
Shortly after the PWFA Final Rule was published, 17 states challenged its lawfulness, focusing on its requirements for accommodating individuals seeking elective abortions, alleging that the Final Rule conflicts with the states’ policies.
The 2025 Ontario provincial election will take place on February 27, 2025. Voters will elect their Member of Provincial Parliament to represent them at Queen’s Park.
The IRS’s recently released Revenue Ruling 2025-4 provides significant guidance on the employment tax treatment of contributions to and benefits paid under state paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs.
The report highlights common workplace issues that can arise as a result of natural disasters, including wage and hour disruptions, leaves of absence requests, benefit and tax implications of employee assistance programs, and other considerations.
On January 14, 2025, the Department of Labor issued an Opinion Letter regarding the applicability of the FMLA substitution rule when an employee on FMLA leave is receiving state or local paid family and medical leave benefits.
