Minnesota: Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Pay History Ban
Employers in Minnesota may no longer ask a job applicant about their pay history beginning Jan. 1, 2024. This law is being implemented, overseen, and enforced by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
Employers in Texas Must Post a Notice Regarding Reporting Workplace Violence or Suspicious Activity?
House Bill No. 915 adds Chapter 104A, “Reporting Workplace Violence,” to the Texas Labor Code, requiring all employers, regardless of size, to “post a notice to employees of the contact information for reporting instances of workplace violence or suspicious activity to the [Texas] Department of Public Safety.”
Q: May an employer be sued due to the contents of a post-termination reference?
A: Yes, absolutely. This is where the majority of employment-related defamation claims get started.
You may have noticed that 2023 was a big year for employment laws across the nation. We saw an unprecedented number of changes from both the federal and state governments, and we revamped more policies than ever before to ensure compliance with our materials. Whew! It was a lot for everyone!
If you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to log into your HR Director account. We sent compliance updates in December, and they affect all clients in all states. The system will prompt you if there are any pending policy changes.
Effective January 1, 2024, Off-Duty Use of Marijuana is Excluded from Hiring Decisions in Washington
Recognizing that Marijuana has been legal in WA since 2012, the new law aims to prevent restricting job opportunities to applicant’s due their past use of cannabis, which should now be treated more like alcohol.
As of the effective date, Washington employers will no longer be allowed to use cannabis use as a basis for employment.
Q: May I recoup an inadvertent overpayment of overtime pay in one pay period by not paying the employee for overtime worked in the next pay period?
The holidays are upon us! Can you believe it?
It’s already that time of year for holiday parties and offices closing for one or a few days to spend time with family and friends and to prepare for a new year. Where has the time gone?
We thought it would be a great time to remind everyone of some common issues during this (somewhat crazy) time of year, sort of an annual holiday refresher to keep everyone on the right track!
Montana Adds Free Speech as Basis for Wrongful Discharge
Effective October 1, 2023, a discharge that is solely based on the employee’s legal expression of free speech, including but not limited to statements made on social media, is now deemed wrongful in Montana.
California: New Law Prohibits Noncompete Agreements
On September 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 699 into law, which prohibits employers from entering into or attempting to enforce noncompete agreements.
