On April 9, 2022, the Maryland state legislature overrode Governor Hogan’s veto of Senate Bill 275, also known as the Time to Care Act of 2022 (the “Act”). With the enactment of the law, Maryland becomes the latest state to...more
On March 24, 2022, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1795 also known as the “Silenced No More Act” (“the Act”). The Act prohibits agreements containing nondisclosure and...more
3/29/2022
/ Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Harassment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Non-Disparagement Provisions ,
State Labor Laws ,
Washington
Over the past few years, states across the country have sought to limit or reduce the use of employee non-compete agreements. While some states have imposed outright bans on such agreements, many more have passed laws that...more
11/19/2021
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Disparate Impact ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Former Employee ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Labor Regulations ,
Low-Wage Workers ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Labor Laws
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief we are joined by partner Guy Brenner, who heads up Proskauer’s D.C. Employment Law practice and co-chairs our Non‑Compete and Trade Secrets Practice group and Daryl Leon, an associate in...more
As we previously reported, earlier this year the District of Columbia enacted the The Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act (the “Act”), which creates the broadest non-compete ban in the country. The Act essentially...more
Quick Hit: Two new laws in Virginia providing disability discrimination protections and protections for medicinal use of cannabis oil for employees go into effect July 1, 2021.
Key Takeaway: Virginia, once known as a...more
Quick Hit. On May 21, 2021, Councilmember Elissa Silverman proposed the Non-Compete Conflict of Interest Clarification Amendment Act of 2021 (the “Bill”), which would amend D.C.’s Ban on Non-Compete Agreements Amendment Act...more
Quick Hit: As we previously reported, earlier this year District of Columbia enacted the Leave to Vote Amendment Act of 2020 (the “Act”) which grants all D.C. employees two hours of paid leave to vote in person. Although the...more
Quick Hit: The temporary expansion of the DC Family and Medical Leave Act to provide D.C. employees up to 16 weeks of unpaid, job-protected “COVID-19 leave” has been extended through October 9, 2020. The D.C. Office of...more
As we previously reported, earlier this year Maryland passed a number of employment laws that, among other things, prohibit use of facial recognition technology, wage history inquires and hairstyle discrimination, and revise...more
As we previously reported, Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules when the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (“VSHCB”) approved an emergency temporary standard on July 15,...more
7/29/2020
/ Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Rule ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Policies ,
Fines ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Occupational Exposure ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
Social Distancing ,
State Health Departments ,
State Labor Laws ,
Virginia ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Workplace Safety
Quick Hit -
Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules when the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (“VSHCB”) approved an emergency temporary standard on July 15, 2020 by a 9-2...more
7/20/2020
/ Administrative Fines ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Governor Northam ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Rules ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Sick Employees ,
Sick Leave ,
Social Distancing ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, this spring Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law a number of new measures expanding protections for employees in the Commonwealth and providing enhanced mechanisms by which employees may...more
Quick Hit: Maryland employers with 50 or more employees must submit information regarding sexual harassment settlements on or before July 1, 2020. This information must be submitted using a portal on the Maryland Commission...more
During the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the Maryland legislature passed over 600 pieces of legislation, many of which relate to employment issues. Several of these bills, including ones that prohibit use of facial...more
5/27/2020
/ Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Governor Hogan ,
Grooming Policies ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Interviews ,
Job Applicants ,
Mini-Warn Acts ,
Notice Requirements ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Bans ,
State Labor Laws ,
State Legislatures ,
Voluntary Reduction in Force
In the wake of Virginia voting in Democratic majorities in both houses of the state legislature last year, the Virginia legislature has passed, and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed into law, a slew of new measures...more
4/27/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Department of Taxation ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Governor Northam ,
Human Rights Act ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Private Right of Action ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remedies ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Theft
As the outbreak of COVID-19 affects the country and states, counties and cities take various measures to slow the transmission, many employers are facing uncertainty and considering business contingency measures. To the...more
On March 3, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law HB 1514, which amends the Virginia Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hairstyles. Specifically, the bill amends the definition of...more
As we previously reported, on July 1, 2020, employees in D.C. will be eligible to receive benefits under the D.C. Paid Family Leave law, which provides employees with up to eight weeks of paid leave to care for a new child,...more
Quick Hit: Effective October 1, 2019, Maryland law prohibits the use of non-competition agreements for employees with wages equal to or less than $15 per hour or $31,200 annually....more
12/2/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Low-Wage Workers ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
State Attorneys General ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unenforceable Contract Terms ,
Void and Unenforceable
On Friday, January 12, 2018, the Maryland Senate voted 30-17 to override Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act (the “Act”) which passed the Maryland General Assembly last year. The Maryland...more
Oregon recently enacted the Oregon Equal Pay Act of 2017 (H.B. 2005) (the “Act”). The Act broadly expands Oregon’s existing equal pay protections and imposes new restrictions on Oregon employers’ use of salary histories in...more
7/24/2017
/ Equal Pay Act ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Hires ,
New Legislation ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Protected Class ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On December 20, 2016, the District of Columbia Council passed the Fair Credit in Employment Amendment Act of 2016 (B21-0244) (the “Act”) which, if enacted, would amend the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977 to prohibit employers...more
2/11/2017
/ Background Checks ,
Commission on Human Rights ,
Credit History ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Private Right of Action ,
Private Sector ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Unfair Labor Practices