News & Analysis as of

Employee Rights State Labor Laws

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 -
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

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

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

New Jersey Lawmakers Mull Stronger Labor Protections for Cannabis Industry Workers

New Jersey lawmakers recently advanced a bill that would expand labor protections for workers in the cannabis industry. If enacted, the measure—which provides stronger union organizing rights, protections for employee...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Massachusetts Makarevich: ‘Understandable’ Separation Agreement Language Aids Employer in Unpaid Wages Case

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In Makarevich v. USI Ins. Services, LLC, a Massachusetts federal district court judge dismissed a former employee’s claims of discrimination and unpaid wages under the Massachusetts Wage Act, concluding that she had knowingly...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

Fisher Phillips

Rhode Island’s New Workplace Laws: Menopause Protections, “Captive Audience” Meeting Ban, Minimum Wage Hikes, and More

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Rhode Island employers must keep up with new workplace laws enacted this year, including some that have already taken effect. The state not only joined a growing number of states that prohibit so-called “captive audience”...more

Franczek P.C.

Appellate Court Finds Employer Intent Matters in Dues-Related Unfair Labor Practice Charges

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Under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, an employer’s failure to deduct and remit union dues based on a valid authorization by the employee or a collective bargaining agreement may be an unfair labor practice....more

Polsinelli

Washington’s Mini-WARN Act Goes Into Effect

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What You Need to Know: Washington’s new mini-WARN Act applies to smaller employers with 50 or more full-time employees unlike the federal WARN Act which only applies to employers with 100 or more employees....more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

NYC Sick Leave Law Amendments Prompt New Employer Obligations

Recent amendments to New York City’s Earned Sick and Safe Time Act (ESSTA) went into effect this month. Consistent with recent amendments to New York State law, the City’s amended leave law now explicitly requires NYC...more

Foster Garvey PC

2025 Legislative Developments Affecting Washington Employers

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Washington employers face a wave of new workplace legislation, some of which recently became effective and some that will begin in 2026 and beyond. These new or modified laws address a broad range of topics, many of which...more

Fisher Phillips

Washington Ramps Up Personnel File Rules and the Consequences for Noncompliance: 5 Employer Takeaways + 5 Steps to Take Now

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Washington law has long given employees the right to inspect their personnel records and former employees the right to receive a written statement about the reasons for their termination – but, until now, employers faced no...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

Perkins Coie

July Tip of the Month: New York COVID Sick Leave Law Finally Sunsets

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Enacted in the early days of the pandemic, the law required employers to provide a separate allotment of paid sick leave to employees who were subject to mandatory or precautionary quarantine or isolation orders due to...more

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