On September 28, 2022, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi signed into law Act No. 82-2022 (Act 82) amending Act No. 17 of April 22, 1988, which prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. This amendment expands employment...more
Last month, Puerto Rico’s governor approved Act 41-2022, which includes a series of amendments to Puerto Rico’s Act 4-2017, better known as the Labor Transformation and Flexibility Act (LTFA), and other employment...more
On June 20, 2022, Puerto Rico’s governor approved Act 41-2022, which includes a series of amendments to Puerto Rico’s Act 4-2017, better known as the Labor Transformation and Flexibility Act (LTFA), and other employment...more
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and as new information has become available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local governments have continuously revised their isolation and quarantine...more
Multiple states and jurisdictions are reporting a deadly winter spike of COVID-19 infections. An excess of 220,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported in early December, a dramatic increase from the 44,783 reported in October....more
12/23/2020
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Puerto Rico ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Title VII ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
As the first phase of Puerto Rico’s plan to restart the economy, and following the recommendations of the Medical and Economic Task Forces, Governor of Puerto Rico Hon. Wanda Vázquez-Garced issued Executive Order...more
On March 30, 2020, following the recommendations of the Medical Task Force convened to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vazquez-Garced issued two additional executive orders to help contain the...more
On March 18, 2020, the president signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Among other things, the new law provides for paid sick leave and expanded FMLA provisions. The FFCRA takes effect on April...more
In the wake of Governor Wanda Vázquez-Garced’s March 15, 2020 Executive Order (EO 2020-023) enacted to facilitate the private and public closings necessary to combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the...more
On March 15, 2020, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Hon. Wanda Vázquez Garced, issued an Executive Order to facilitate the private and public closings necessary to combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and control the...more
3/16/2020
/ Best Practices ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
Puerto Rico ,
Quarantine ,
Workplace Safety
Since late December 2019, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks have struck the southwest region of Puerto Rico, causing many structures to collapse or to sustain severe structural damage. Intermittent electrical service,...more
1/15/2020
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Hurricane Irma ,
Hurricane Maria ,
Natural Disasters ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Puerto Rico ,
Wage and Hour
On July 30, 2018, the governor of Puerto Rico signed Executive Order No. 2018-033, increasing the minimum wage for construction workers, enforcing laws requiring use of locally produced cement, and requiring the use of...more
Guidance on the Federal Employee Retention Benefit for Certain Employers Affected by Hurricane Irma and María -
New Regulation or Official Guidance -
The Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury issued Internal Revenue...more
Last month, we reported that the Governor of Puerto Rico announced his “Initiative to Reform the Labor Force,” which would have created significant employment law changes to increase the employment participation rate on the...more
4/27/2018
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
At-Will Employment ,
Bonuses ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Hearing ,
Puerto Rico ,
Wage and Hour
On March 21, 2018, the Governor of Puerto Rico announced his “Initiative to Reform the Labor Force,” with the express goal of increasing the employment rate. ...more
On September 20, 2017, Puerto Rico suffered the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria, which savaged the Island, taking down all communications systems, severely damaging or completely destroying many homes and roads, and...more
On August 10, 2017, the Puerto Rico Secretary of Labor and Human Resources issued and made effective the Uniform Guidelines for the Self-Assessment of Equal Pay in the Workplace (“the Guidelines”). These Guidelines were...more
On March 8, 2017, Puerto Rico enacted Act 16, creating the Puerto Rico Equal Pay Act ("PR Equal Pay Act" or "the Act"). The law's stated intent is to eradicate the pay difference between female and male employees. To that...more
On January 26, 2017, the Governor of Puerto Rico approved the Labor Transformation and Flexibility Act (“the Act"). The Act makes substantial changes to virtually all existing Puerto Rico employment laws, including those...more
1/26/2017
/ Bonuses ,
Conflicts of Laws ,
Discrimination ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
HSA ,
Independent Contractors ,
Maternity Leave ,
Over-Time ,
Puerto Rico ,
Qualified Benefit Plans ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Severance Pay ,
Sick Leave ,
Unemployment ,
Vacation Pay ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
On June 30, 2016, President Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (S. 2328), commonly known as “PROMESA.” This measure, which was enacted with bipartisan support, effectively delays...more
On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, announced the final changes to the regulations that govern the “white collar” overtime exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). It remains to...more
5/20/2016
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Final Rules ,
Management ,
Minimum Salary ,
Over-Time ,
Puerto Rico ,
Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions