I. Introduction -
A. Artificial Intelligence Arrives in Everyday Life – The Release of ChatGPT -
Generative AI, which is a type of artificial intelligence that can produce or create new content, has already started to...more
In the past few years, the global trend towards prioritizing inclusion, equity, and diversity (IE&D) has inspired and challenged employers in every industry. On the one hand, there is a significant business case for IE&D...more
I. Introduction -
The pay gap – or paying women and other historically marginalized groups less for the same or substantially similar work – has long been in the media spotlight. But as employees, boards, consumers, and...more
On March 18, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act. The CROWN Act would prohibit workplace discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or...more
4/27/2022
/ Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Labor Reform ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Race Discrimination ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State Labor Laws
On April 1, 2022, a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that California Assembly Bill 979—a bill designed to increase diversity and improve the persistently low number of underrepresented groups on corporate...more
4/20/2022
/ Board of Directors ,
California ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Governance ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equal Protection ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Popular ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
State Constitutions
As companies focus on workforce inclusion, equity, and diversity (IE&D), they are under increasing pressure to assure that the membership of their boards reflects these values. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)...more
8/23/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
LGBTQ ,
Listing Standards ,
Minorities ,
Nasdaq ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Woman Board Members
Over the past year, employers have had to grapple with seismic social, cultural, and political developments impacting profoundly how they do business. From a worldwide pandemic severely affecting global communities, markets...more
In the midst of national conversations surrounding racial equity and social justice, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 979 into law on September 30, 2020. AB 979 is a first-of-its-kind legislation requiring that no later than...more
10/1/2020
/ Board of Directors ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Governance ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Foreign Corporations ,
Gender Equity ,
Governor Newsom ,
Minorities ,
New Legislation ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Race Discrimination ,
Sex Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
Woman Board Members
This Annual Report on EEOC Developments—Fiscal Year 2019 (hereafter “Report”), our ninth annual publication, is designed as a comprehensive guide to significant EEOC developments over the past fiscal year. The Report does not...more
3/6/2020
/ Civil Rights Act ,
EEO-1 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Title VII ,
Wage and Hour
On March 4, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed HB 1514/SB 50 into law, which expands the Virginia Human Rights Act’s definition of racial discrimination to include traits historically associated with race, including...more
We remember when legislative and regulatory developments rarely occurred in December, but those days are behind us.
A Reminder About New Year's Eve & New Year's Day Rate Increases: Many minimum wage, tipped and exempt...more
1/2/2020
/ Appeals ,
Comment Period ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Consumer Price Index ,
Deadlines ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lack of Jurisdiction ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Perks ,
Preemption ,
Rate of Pay ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
Wages ,
White-Collar Exemptions
With its “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act” (CROWN Act), New Jersey just became the third state to enact legislation specifically prohibiting discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles...more
12/27/2019
/ Dress Codes ,
Employee Training ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
Race Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws
I am an HR manager for a boutique beauty supply shop based in Atlanta, Georgia. We are planning to expand into new storefronts in both San Diego, California and Brooklyn, New York. We have a standard grooming policy because...more
12/10/2019
/ Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Human Rights ,
Labor Regulations ,
NYCCHR ,
Race Discrimination ,
Religious Clothing ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tattoo Policy
Turkeys weren't the only things stuffed in November – there was a gut-busting amount of late-year legislative, regulatory and case law developments at the federal, state, and local levels concerning the minimum wage, tips,...more
12/5/2019
/ Ballot Measures ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Fluctuating Workweek ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rulemaking Process ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
This October there are no tricks, but there are plenty of treats (assuming you have a sweet tooth for minimum wage, overtime, and tip developments at all levels of government)....more
11/1/2019
/ Back Wages ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
Upending the longstanding practice of employers including no-rehire clauses in agreements resolving employment disputes, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that will prohibit such provisions in employment...more
With the usual flurry of activity at the end of the legislative session, California has enacted a slew of bills with labor and employment ramifications....more
10/14/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Apprenticeships ,
Arbitration ,
Bias ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Definition ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Entertainment Industry ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Leave of Absence ,
New Legislation ,
Printed Publications ,
Settlement Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
You don't need to be an Earth, Wind, and Fire fan to realize September had all the elements necessary to make for a memorable month of developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime....more
10/2/2019
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Opinion Letter ,
Over-Time ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Though in August summer is almost over and fall is just about upon us, federal, state, and local developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime transcend the seasons.
...more
The pay gap – or paying women and other historically marginalized groups less for the same or substantially similar work – has increasingly been in the media spotlight. Politicians have also taken note. While there have been...more
8/6/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
While most parts of the country were heating up in July, developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime were cooling off. Many state legislatures have adjourned or are in recess, leaving it mainly to federal...more
On July 3, California made history by enacting the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, becoming the first state to ban discrimination on the basis of hairstyles associated with race. The...more
Summer, summer, summertime; time to sit back and unwind with minimum wage, overtime, and tip-related developments that occurred in June 2019.
A Reminder that Minimum Wage Rates May Increase on July 1: As we discussed in...more
Status of U.S. Department of Labor Rules: May 21, 2019 was the deadline to submit public comment concerning the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rules governing the minimum salary or fee amount employees must receive...more
We’ll spare you the taxing introduction and jump straight to itemizing developments concerning the minimum wage, tips, and overtime.
U.S. Department of Labor Developments: By a 53-45 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Cheryl...more