News & Analysis as of

Employee Rights State Labor Laws Off-Duty Employees

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 -
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

Ice Miller

Parades, Protests, and Politics: Managing Off-Duty Conduct in the Workplace

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As the nation prepares to celebrate the Fourth of July with parades, fireworks, and barbeques, many employers may find themselves faced with a challenging issue—how to manage employee conduct that occurs off the clock,...more

Oppenheimer Investigations Group

Digital Danger: When Social Media Posts Can Trigger Workplace Investigations

Employers bear the responsibility of preventing and correcting harassment in the workplace. While the line between on and off duty conduct has never been crystal clear, in today’s hyper-connected world of social media, the...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Managing Political Discourse at Work With Lessons From Mad Men - Hiring to Firing Podcast

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In part two of the three-part Hiring to Firing series, host Tracey Diamond and new co-host Emily Schifter dive into the complexities of managing employees’ political beliefs and discourse in the workplace, just in time for...more

Littler

Politics in a California Workplace

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California law provides robust protections for employees’ political activity, including anti-discrimination laws, off-duty conduct laws, employee voting leave laws, statewide election notice requirements, and laws allowing...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

California’s New Drug Testing Rules Protect Employees’ Off-Duty Cannabis Use

With expanding legalization and commercialization—including several state initiatives in 2024 and perhaps even federal legislation—the chances are good that your California business has at least a few employees who consume...more

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

Off-Duty Conduct Protections for Employees’ 4/20 Celebrations: A Look at the High Points of a Few States’ Marijuana Laws

With the arrival of the unofficial annual holiday known as “4/20,” employers can celebrate by reminding themselves of the state laws that could protect employees’ off-duty 4/20 celebrations....more

Weintraub Tobin

California Legislature Considers Employee’s “Right to Disconnect”

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In late March 2024, California Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill, AB 2751, that would recognize a right for employees in California to “disconnect” or ignore communications from their employer during...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Court Clarifies Employers’ Rights Under Connecticut’s Palliative Use of Marijuana Act, Guidance on Drug Testing

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In a recent decision affirming summary judgment in favor of defendant Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. (the “Agency”), the Connecticut Appellate Court (decision.pdf) provided employers with useful guidance about...more

Weintraub Tobin

California Employment News: Expanded Workplace Protections Regarding Cannabis Use

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New laws in 2024 expand workplace protections for employees regarding their current and past cannabis use. Nikki Mahmoudi and Tomiwa Aina review these changes, previewed in our 2024 Employment Law Update seminars, in this...more

Littler

California Laws Come into Effect Regarding Off-Duty Marijuana Use

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Two new laws will take effect next year that restrict how employers may respond to worker off-duty cannabis use.  One law will restrict employers’ ability to ask about prior cannabis use in the hiring process, and the other...more

DarrowEverett LLP

Q2 Employment Law Updates: Non-Competes, Religious Accommodation and More

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So far, 2023 has been a wild ride for employers, a theme that looks to be continuing into the third quarter of the year. While certain predictions we made during Q1 came true in Q2 (we are looking at you, NLRB), others such...more

Littler

California to Protect Off-Work Use of Marijuana, Set Testing Parameters for Measuring Workplace Impairment

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Last month, the California Legislature voted to join what it refers to as “the movement to legalize and regulate the non-medical use of cannabis” across the United States, including offering employment protection for such...more

Littler

Nevada Supreme Court Affirms Termination for Off-Duty Recreational Marijuana Use

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Ending years of discussion about the scope of state law employment protections for individuals who use marijuana recreationally, the Nevada Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss a complaint by an...more

Morgan Lewis

Rhode Island Legalizes Recreational Marijuana and Protects Off-Duty Use for Employees

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Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed a bill on May 25 legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. The law, which took effect immediately, prohibits basing adverse employment actions on off-duty marijuana use, unless...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

New York Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Cannabis and the Workplace

The New York State Department of Labor (“NYDOL”) has issued FAQ guidance addressing common questions regarding recreational cannabis use by employees in and outside of the workplace in light of the enactment earlier this year...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

Weed and the Workplace: Recent Developments in New York, Virginia, and Colorado

Employers take note: recently New York became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana use through Senate Bill 854A, and Virginia is not far behind. ...more

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

New York State Addresses a Chronic Issue: Employees Granted Protections for Off-Duty Cannabis Use

On March 31, 2021, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), legalizing the recreational use of cannabis in New York State for individuals age 21 or older. ...more

Littler

NJ Supreme Court Holds Medical Marijuana Use Outside of the Workplace is Protected Under State Law and Employers are Required to...

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Resolving prior uncertainty regarding the impact of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA) on employees’ employment rights, the New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that employees can maintain an...more

Fisher Phillips

The “Do Not Disturb” Movement: A Right To Disconnect? Or A Disconnection From Reality?

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In today’s business climate, work always seems to be on the mind. But should it be? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the productivity of the average American worker has skyrocketed by an astounding 400% since...more

Littler

Illinois Poised to Protect Marijuana Users from Adverse Employment Actions as Part of Marijuana Legalization Legislation

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On June 4, 2019, the Illinois legislature passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “Act”) (HB 1438).  The Act, notwithstanding federal law, declares marijuana a “lawful product” for state law purposes, and would make...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Raging Bull: Getting Beat Up On Glassdoor?

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Seyfarth Synopsis: Even if bad Glassdoor reviews have you feeling like you need to fight back, employers should stay out of the ring, and instead implement social media policies that clearly define prohibited behavior and...more

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