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Employee Rights Employer Responsibilities New Legislation

Most countries provide some degree of workplace protection for employees and job applicants. Depending on the jurisdiction, these protections generally include safety precautions and policies, anti-discrimination... more +
Most countries provide some degree of workplace protection for employees and job applicants. Depending on the jurisdiction, these protections generally include safety precautions and policies, anti-discrimination policies, collective bargaining and unionizing rights, meal and rest requirements, minimum wage rules, and medical and family leave rights to name a few. In the United States, the federal framework for employee rights stem from statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition, employee rights statutes are implemented and enforced by regulatory authorities such as the EEOC, NLRB, OSHA, and the Department of Labor. Further, many state and local governments provide additional and localized protections for employees that are enforced by local regulatory entities. less -
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Illinois Requires Paid Leave for Military Funeral Honors Details

Illinois recently amended its Military Leave Act to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave per year (limited to eight hours per month) for employees serving on a funeral honors detail. This paid leave entitlement became...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Maine Law Requires Employee Compensation When Employers Cancel or Shorten Shifts

On June 24, 2025, Maine enacted a new law requiring employers to compensate employees who report to their scheduled shifts but have their hours reduced or cancelled by their employer. This law will primarily impact businesses...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Illinois Now Requires Paid Leave for Military Funeral Honors Detail

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Beginning August 1, 2025, Illinois employers with at least 51 employees must provide certain covered employees with up to eight hours of paid leave per month, or up to 40 hours of paid leave per calendar year to perform...more

McManis Faulkner

What Changes Will California Employees See With Paid Leave Laws in 2025?

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In 2025, California is continuing to spearhead efforts to expand employees’ rights. Assembly Bill 2499 (AB 2499), Assembly Bill 2123 (AB 2123), and Senate Bill 1090 (SB 1090) are prime examples of these efforts, providing...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Washington State Expands Paid Sick Leave Law To Include Coverage for Immigration Proceedings and Hate Crime Victims

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As we have previously discussed, state paid sick leave laws continue expanding. In 2025, states which previously had no sick leave requirements (Nebraska and Alaska) will now require employers to provide employees with paid...more

Littler

Minnesota, Iowa Modify Employer Drug Testing Requirements

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Minnesota and Iowa have longstanding drug testing laws that place them among the more difficult states for employer compliance. This year, both states modified their laws in ways that require employers to reevaluate their...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Breastfeeding at Work Redefined: Puerto Rico’s New Code Ushers in Major Changes

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Puerto Rico has enacted a groundbreaking Lactation/Breastfeeding Code that consolidates in one statute the rights of breastfeeding employees and the responsibilities of employers across the Island. Signed into law on...more

Littler

Illinois Adopts First of Its Kind Paid Military Funeral Honors Detail Leave

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On August 1, 2025, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 220, amending the state’s Military Leave Act to require employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave for eligible employees when serving on a funeral...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Montana Expands Workplace Protections for Employees Holding Public Office

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On May 19, 2025, Montana passed HB 667 amending Montana’s law requiring leave for employees holding public office. HB 667 became effective upon passage and applies retroactively to January 1, 2025....more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Rhode Island First in Nation to Require Accommodation of Employee’s Menopause, Effective Immediately

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Rhode Island is the first state to expressly require employers to provide workplace accommodations for job applicants and employees who are experiencing menopause and menopause-related medical conditions. This requirement...more

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Rhode Island's New Menopause Accommodation Law: Key Employer Insights

On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island became the first state to require reasonable accommodation for menopause-related conditions. The Rhode Island legislature amended the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act’s requirement that...more

Hinckley Allen

New Hampshire Employers Must Offer Unpaid Childbirth Leave Beginning in 2026

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Beginning on January 1, 2026, New Hampshire employers with at least 20 employees are required by law to provide employees with up to 25 hours of unpaid leave to attend postpartum and pediatric healthcare visits after the...more

Littler

Puerto Rico Enacts New Lactation Code

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On August 1, 2025, Governor Jennifer González signed Act 87-2025, titled, “Puerto Rico Lactation Code” (“Code” or “Act 87-2025”). The Code compiles all previously enacted breastfeeding-related laws into one (i.e.,...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Rhode Island Bars Workplace Discrimination Based on Menopause Symptoms

On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island enacted a law barring employers from discriminating against workers because of their menopause symptoms. The law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for workers experiencing...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

The Latest Changes to Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time Statute

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On June 14th, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law, S.F. No. 17, which once again included amendments to Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law that went into effect in January 2024....more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

New Hampshire’s Unpaid Childbirth-Related Leave Law Goes Into Effect 2026

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Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Granite State employers with at least 20 employees must provide employees with up to 25 hours of unpaid leave to attend medical appointments associated with childbirth, postpartum care, and their...more

Ius Laboris

A Win for Hong Kong Employees: New Law Expands Access to Statutory Benefits

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Effective from January 2026, a new law in Hong Kong will broaden the definition of a ‘continuous contract’, making it easier for employees to qualify for statutory employment benefits. We look at the details below....more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Iowa Amends Drug Testing Statute, Relieves Some Employer Burdens

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The Iowa drug testing statute (Iowa Code § 730.5) became more employer friendly effective July 1, 2025. Although the Iowa drug testing law remains one of the most technically challenging in the country, the changes will make...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Legislation Grants Authority to California Labor Commissioner to Enforce Labor Code Provisions Related to Gratuities

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California Governor Newsom recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 648, which authorizes the state’s Labor Commissioner to investigate and issue a citation or file a civil action for gratuities taken or withheld in violation of the...more

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Indiana Mandates Employee Leave for School Meetings

Effective July 1, 2025, Indiana generally requires all employers provide unpaid leave for employees to attend school conferences and meetings for their children. Employers are prohibited from taking adverse action against an...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Washington's Mini-WARN Act Goes into Effect on July 27, 2025

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Washington state recently enacted the Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act (Senate Bill 5525), which takes effect July 27, 2025. This new "mini" version of the federal Worker Adjustment and...more

Husch Blackwell LLP

Nebraska Governor Signs Amendment to State's Paid Sick Leave Law

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As discussed in our January 2025 update, the Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, which requires employers to provide paid sick leave to qualified employees, goes into effect October 1, 2025. On June 4, 2025,...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Building an Exemption: California Construction Employers Allowed to Drug Test for Marijuana

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California prohibits employers from discriminating against employees because of off-duty use of marijuana, with some exemptions. One exemption is for “the building and construction trades.” California’s AB 2188 greatly...more

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Florida Revamps Laws Governing Garden Leave and Noncompete Agreements

On July 3, 2025, the “Florida Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act” became effective in Florida. The CHOICE Act is a significant measure enacted to bolster legal...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Refresher on California’s CROWN Act

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In 2019, California became the first state to pass the CROWN Act—short for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. This legislation prohibits discrimination based on natural hair textures and protective...more

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