For years, California has led the way in the fast food industry, with several prominent brands having their origins in the Golden State. More recently, California has shown innovation in the ways that the employment of fast...more
9/12/2023
/ California ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fast-Food Industry ,
FEHA ,
Food Service Workers ,
IWC ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Restaurant Industry ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On March 14, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas delivered a victory for businesses that utilize independent contractors, and for independent contractors themselves, when it held that the...more
3/16/2022
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Statutory Violations ,
Wage and Hour
On July 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to implement and enforce Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors,” was published in the Federal Register. Executive Order...more
On June 11, 2021, the federal government released its unified federal regulatory agenda for spring 2021, which outlines regulatory and deregulation actions agencies expect to take in the coming months....more
6/17/2021
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Davis-Bacon Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Deregulation ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Wage and Hour
In September 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden promised organized labor that, if elected, he would be the “strongest labor president you’ve ever had.” In his first 100 days in office, now President Biden has acted quickly and...more
5/4/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Infrastructure ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
LGBTQ ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRA ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
On April 27, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued an executive order increasing the minimum wage for workers working on or in connection with a federal government contract. Under the order, federal contractors will be...more
4/29/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
In November 2020, Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) published its Election Report, a deep dive into the myriad labor and employment policy questions potentially in play depending on the outcome of the election. The...more
1/20/2021
/ Administrative Appointments ,
Biden Administration ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Hazard Pay ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Wage and Hour
On January 14, 2021, President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. released his administration’s plan for additional COVID-19 economic relief. The $1.9 trillion package includes a range of measures to address the continued...more
1/19/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Financial Stimulus ,
Hazard Pay ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
OSHA ,
Relief Measures ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour
As the year draws to a close, employers are assessing the next wave of labor and employment laws and regulations they will face in 2020 and beyond. Most new laws taking effect at the end of 2019 and throughout 2020 are at the...more
11/14/2019
/ Ban the Box ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EEO-1 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Form I-9 ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Health Insurance ,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ,
Immigration Reform ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
NLRB ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Pay Gap ,
Popular ,
Raids ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Smoking Bans ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
On July 18, 2019, voting largely along party lines, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25 an hour to $15.00 an hour by 2025. ...more
Nearly all states legislatures are now in session, and the surge of new bills indicates lawmakers are not holding back. Over 1,000 state-level labor and employment-related bills have already been introduced since January 1,...more
2/5/2019
/ Criminal Background Checks ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
The November mid-term elections resulted in some significant power shifts at the state level. Six states (Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, and New York) that had been politically divided now enjoy a Democratic...more
12/3/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
General Elections ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Right to Work ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
As 2018 draws to a close, employers are looking to the next wave of labor and employment laws and regulations that will take effect in 2019 and beyond. On January 1, and throughout the coming year, employers across the nation...more
While some races remain undecided, it is clear at this point that Democrats will control the U.S. House of Representatives in the next Congress. ...more
11/7/2018
/ Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employee Rights ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
U.S. House ,
Unions ,
Wages ,
White-Collar Exemptions
After the California legislature adjourned—sending several noteworthy labor and employment bills to Governor Brown for his veto or signature in September—only a few states remain in active session. ...more
11/2/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Freelance Workers ,
Fringe Benefits ,
LGBTQ ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
No-Poaching ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Public Accommodation ,
Restroom Legislation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sick Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
Transgender ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
State and local lawmakers introduced over 250 new labor and employment bills in February, and considered hundreds of others in various stages of the legislative lifecycle. Many topics covered by these measures are familiar,...more
3/2/2018
/ Ban the Box ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Pay Transparency ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Despite recent publicity surrounding bills pending in the U.S. Congress, state legislatures have not lost their focus. More than 30 states have concluded their legislative sessions, and another half-dozen are in recess. But...more
8/2/2017
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Ban the Box ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Preemption ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
During the prior administration, congressional gridlock prevented many significant labor and employment bills from advancing. Federal agencies picked up the slack, issuing several rules to help carry out much of President...more
7/21/2017
/ Apprenticeships ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Minimum Wage ,
OSHA ,
Persuader Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Silica ,
Tipped Employees ,
Trump Administration ,
Two For One Rule ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
As the dog days of summer settle in, most statehouses have closed up shop. Legislatures in approximately 12 states remain in regular session, however, with a couple more active in special session. Roughly 200 labor and...more
7/7/2017
/ Background Checks ,
Discrimination ,
Equal Pay ,
Healthy Workplace Act ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Medical Leave ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
Parental Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Pregnancy ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Discrimination ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions ,
Work Schedules
From the workplace policy perspective, much of the focus of the first 100 days of the Trump administration was on confirming a new Secretary of Labor and reversing the Obama administration’s labor and employment agenda....more
6/8/2017
/ Administrative Authority ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Funding ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Minimum Wage ,
OFCCP ,
On-Demand Services ,
OSHA ,
Paid Leave ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
At this point in the year, many state lawmakers are wrapping up their efforts before summer, when many legislatures are in recess. Legislatures in roughly half the states have already concluded their sessions. Approximately...more
6/2/2017
/ Discrimination ,
Joint Employers ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Preemption ,
Pregnancy ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sick Leave ,
Social Media Policy ,
Wage and Hour
As April showers turn into May flowers, measures proposed earlier this year in the state legislatures begin to take root. Significantly fewer generally applicable labor and employment bills were introduced in April, around 60...more
5/2/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Data Breach ,
Discrimination ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Benefits ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Pay Gap ,
Preemption ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Right to Work ,
Wage and Hour
As we turn the calendar to April, state legislatures are starting to hit their stride. Bills introduced earlier this year continue to advance, with more than 400 labor and employment-related measures remaining under...more
4/4/2017
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Ban the Box ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Equal Pay ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pay Gap ,
Preemption ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
Statehouses across the country continue to propose legislation at a frenzied pace. In February, as in January, more than 500 bills concerning labor and employment issues were either introduced or addressed in some fashion....more
3/2/2017
/ Background Checks ,
Data Security ,
Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Joint Employers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Pay Transparency ,
Preemption ,
Right to Work ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Wage and Hour
Most state legislatures are back in session, and they are poised to address a wide range of labor and employment issues this year. Since January 1, 2017, more than 500 employment-related bills have been proposed in more than...more
2/3/2017
/ Ban the Box ,
Employer No-Weapons Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Firearms ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pay Transparency ,
Preemption ,
Right to Work ,
Salary/Wage History ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Union Dues ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages ,
Work Schedules