Beginning October 1, 2020, the minimum wage that employers must pay Rhode Island employees increases to $11.50 per hour. All employers must pay this minimum wage regardless of the employers’ size and revenue. Employers should...more
The Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a new temporary rule (“New Rule”) today, September 16, 2020, revising and clarifying its previous April 1, 2020 temporary rule (“Prior Rule”) concerning the Families First Coronavirus...more
Rhode Island and Massachusetts have joined the growing list of states that are enacting orders requiring citizens to quarantine for up to two weeks after traveling to other states. These travel restrictions often prohibit...more
8/27/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Quarantine ,
Remote Working ,
Staffing Agencies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Travel Restrictions ,
Vacation Leave ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
A federal court in New York (“Court”) recently struck down a number of important provisions contained within the Final Rule issued by the Department of Labor (“DOL”) interpreting the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act...more
8/12/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Final Rules ,
Health Care Providers ,
Intermittent Leave ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Required Documentation ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour
On July 15, 2019, Rhode Island’s Governor signed into law the Rhode Island Noncompetition Agreement Act (the “Act”), limiting the enforceability of restrictive covenants with certain employees. Its limited applicability...more
We hope you enjoy this edition of Three Things, a new effort from Partridge Snow & Hahn that identifies three timely and noteworthy items our attorneys think you could find helpful and interesting....more
A year ago, the United States Supreme Court issued its seminal decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis, which confirmed that employers may use mandatory individual arbitration agreements without fear of the National Labor Relations...more
5/21/2019
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Ernst & Young v Morris ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Murphy Oil v NLRB ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Savings Clause ,
SCOTUS
Certain Obligations Take Effect on July 1 - What Employers Need to Know Now -
THE BASICS. Massachusetts has enacted yet another new leave law. Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) provides employees with job protected...more
On Friday, August 10, 2018, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law An Act (the “Act”) relative to the judicial enforcement of noncompetition agreements that fundamentally changes the way noncompetition agreements are...more
The much anticipated Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Time Law (the “new law”) will go into effect next week and impacts virtually all Rhode Island employers. While the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training has...more
In a 5-4 decision this week, the Supreme Court ruled in Epic Systems v. Lewis that class action waivers in employer/employee arbitration agreements are as lawful and enforceable as any other contract. The Court’s decision...more
5/25/2018
/ Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Epic Systems Corp v Lewis ,
Ernst & Young v Morris ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Murphy Oil v NLRB ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Savings Clause ,
SCOTUS
The Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (the "Act") goes into effect on Sunday, April 1st, 2018. The Act, which applies to all Massachusetts employers with six or more employees, requires employers to provide pregnant...more
As described in our prior publications, an Act to Establish Pay Equity in Massachusetts (the “Equal Pay Law”) will go into effect on July 1, 2018. In basic terms, the Equal Pay Law requires Massachusetts employers to pay the...more
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) has finally released its proposed regulations, 260-RICR-30-05-5 regarding the Rhode Island Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act (the “Sick Leave Law”). As we...more
After many revisions, the Rhode Island Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act (the “Sick Leave Law”) was signed into law last week. The basics are as follows...more
The time has come for Massachusetts’ employers to start preparing for the implementation of the law entitled An Act to Establish Pay Equity (the “Law”) that will go into effect on July 1, 2018. The Law represents a...more
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and the use, sale and possession of marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, however, a majority of states (at last count, 29...more
Are you sleeping better knowing that you have purchased Employment Practices Liability Insurance (“EPLI”) to cover your company against employment claims? Well it may be time to wake up....more
Savvy employers always need to be on the look-out for ways to mitigate the ever-growing risks posed by increasingly burdensome state and federal employment laws. Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will have the chance to...more
Earlier this year the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) published a new rule that attempts to shame employers into lowering workplace injuries and gives OSHA much broader discretion to regulate retaliation...more
As we first reported in June of last year President Obama directed the Department of Labor to review and update the regulations governing exemptions for executive, administrative, professional and other employees under the...more
The final rule implementing Executive Order 13665 (the Pay Transparency Act) went into effect on Jan. 11, 2016. The act prohibits employers from requiring their employees to keep their compensation confidential. Under the new...more
In June we alerted you to the fact that the Department of Labor (“DOL”) was planning to increase the minimum weekly salary an employee must be paid in order to qualify for an exemption from overtime. Since that time, the DOL...more
Last month, the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act was amended to require employers with 4 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations to employees and prospective employees with a “condition”. Such...more
Are Employers in the 34 States Without Exchanges Subject to Penalties? -
Despite the fact that there is no longer any disagreement in the lower courts, the Supreme Court on Friday, November 7, 2014, made the unusual...more