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.
At approximately 1:00 a.m. CST on February 16, 2018, the Austin, Texas City Council approved an ordinance establishing a paid sick leave requirement that will apply to all private employers located within the City.
The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act goes into effect on April 1, 2018. This new law requires employers with six or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees.
The Governor of Puerto Rico recently signed into law Act No. 28 (“Act 28”), entitling all employees, including temporary employees, with up to six days of paid leave per year if they suffer from a “catastrophic illness.”
The majority of state legislatures are back in session, wasting no time considering new labor and employment measures. More than 600 state and local bills governing workplace issues were introduced or actively evaluated in January.
A new law in Puerto Rico provides greater protections for non-exempt private sector employees by prohibiting employers from using sick leave to measure employees’ efficiency in their annual performance evaluations.
On January 12, 2018, the Maryland legislature overrode Governor Larry Hogan’s (R) 2017 veto of the Healthy Working Families Act, enacting legislation that requires Maryland businesses to provide covered employees with sick and safe leave.
Despite the holiday break in most statehouses and city halls, legislators were quite productive in December. More than 40 employment-related bills were introduced or advanced last month, across nearly 20 states and municipalities.
