District of Columbia employers now face and are soon to face a number of new laws affecting a wide range of issues, including wage payments, recording of hours worked, pregnancy accommodations, concealed weapons in the workplace, and the use of criminal background checks and drug testing during the hiring process. While most of the changes impose new requirements on employers, emergency legislation passed by the D.C. Council on February 3rd also contained a win for employers by changing existing D.C. law that had previously required that employers keep records of hours worked by both exempt and non-exempt employees. Employers must be aware of these new requirements, some of which require employers to change their current practices, and should carefully review their employee handbooks and other policies to ensure timely compliance.

The D.C. Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act of 2014 and Revisions to It -

The D.C. Wage Theft Prevention Amendment Act of 2014, which is currently expected to become effective on February 26, 2015, following Congressional review, has already proven to be one of the most significant and controversial new laws affecting D.C. employers in recent memory. Fortunately, in response to urging by employer groups, on February 3, 2015, the D.C. Council took emergency action to scale back its most burdensome provisions.