Employment Law This Week®: Pay Data Collection, Strengthening Worker Protections, NJ’s “Wage Theft” Legislation
New Jersey Employers Face Tougher Penalties for “Wage Theft” - Employment Law This Week® - Trending News
On May 27, 2025, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed the Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights Act (POWER Act). The ordinance, found here, aims to enhance protections related to paid sick leave, wage theft, and domestic...more
On May 27, 2025, Philadelphia enacted the Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights Act (“POWER Act”), amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code as it pertains to the following sections: “Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces,”...more
On June 9, 2025, Governor Tina Kotek signed SB 426 into law. The bill, set to become effective on January 1, 2026, follows the Oregon Legislature’s ongoing attempts to pass a “wage theft” bill imposing strict liability on...more
City Council Passes POWER Act, Mobile Service Provider Regulations -During Thursday’s meeting, the City Council passed the POWER Act—which empowers Philadelphia’s Department of Labor to enforce existing worker protection laws...more
New York Codifies Employer Requirement to Notify Employees of Unemployment Benefit Rights - Gov. Hochul signed S4878A/A298. The law amends New York Labor Law Section 590 by adding a section that requires employers...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: When the Legislature reconvenes from Spring Break on April 10, 2023, it will resume consideration of the employment bills that were among the 2,600 introduced. Notable employment bills include those...more
Last month, the Rhode Island General Assembly adjourned for 2022. Two years removed from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislative session finally returned to a familiar pace and structure. In contrast, the ongoing...more
Getting ready to return to the office in California and need a refresher on what makes California law “special”? Have plans to open an office/location somewhere in California and want to understand what laws apply and how...more
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a slew of new bills into law at the close of California’s legislative season. Below is a summary of the new employment laws, all of which take effect on January 1, 2022....more
The close of the 2021 California legislative session brings forth a series of new wage and hour laws that impact employers and take effect on January 1, 2022. Assembly Bill (AB) 286 addresses food delivery, including...more
With the 2021 California legislative year closed, it is now time to examine the new legislation that will affect California companies. We have summarized the key new legislation below, with relevant action items noted....more
In 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws impacting California employers. The new laws — some of which recently became effective and others were signed into law just weeks ago and take effect January 1, 2022 —...more
To close out the 2021 legislative season, Governor Gavin Newsom signed dozens of bills into law, many of which directly affect California employers. In addition to the coverage in prior blog posts, which are linked below,...more
On September 27, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez’s Assembly Bill 1003 into law. This new legislation establishes that intentional theft of wages or tips by employers is punishable...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: While the second half of the 2020-21 legislative session saw comparatively fewer employment-related bills than in previous years, those that made it to Governor Newsom’s desk carry some hefty obligations....more
On May 25, 2021, both houses of the Illinois General Assembly approved an amendment to the State’s Wage Payment and Collection Act (“the Act”). The change would require employers who violate the Act to pay damages of 5% of...more
The Virginia legislature ended its term by passing a host of new laws that expand liability for employers on a variety of critical wage and hour issues. Virginia’s legislative session—its first in more than two decades with...more
On April 3, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the 2020-2021 state budget bills, which include several amendments to New York’s Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA). ...more
The legislature’s second week was busy with committee hearings and press conferences where legislators announced and debated their priorities for the session. Legislators agreed to extend policy deadlines to help address the...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Murphy signed 153 bills into law on January 20, 2020, including six (6) that increase enforcement mechanisms for state agencies to impose certain penalties against employers who misclassify workers...more
Students across the country are heading back to school, but most state legislatures are either in recess or have adjourned for 2019. States that were still in session in August did advance several significant bills, while the...more
On August 8, 2019, the Minneapolis City Council joined the state of Minnesota in requiring wage notices. The ordinance—which goes into effect on January 1, 2020, and applies to any employers who have an employee who works at...more
On August 6, 2019, New Jersey enacted its Wage Theft Law, transforming the state’s wage and hour laws into one of the most robust in the country. As discussed below, the law substantially expands the civil and criminal...more
On August 8, 2019, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed the Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance, creating new requirements for Minneapolis employers and giving the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights enforcement...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 6, 2019, Acting New Jersey Governor Sheila Oliver signed into law A-2903/S-1790, described as an Act “concerning enforcement, penalties, and procedures for law regarding failure to pay wages.” ...more