DE Under 3: EEOC Consent Decree Illustrated Enforcement Stance Regarding Natural Hair Texture & Race Discrimination
Illegal or ill-mannered? Title VII meets Ms. Manners
Employment Law Now: Volume 3 Episode 45- Part 1 of 2 Back From The Summer Hiatus
Pennsylvania is now the 28th state to enact legislation protecting employees from hair-based discrimination. The “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act,” was signed into law by Governor Shapiro...more
On November 25, 2025, Pennsylvania enacted House Bill No. 439, titled “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act” (CROWN). CROWN amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to prohibit discrimination...more
As of Jan. 24, 2026, Pennsylvania employers should assess and update workplace grooming and appearance policies to ensure compliance with new protections covering natural hair, hairstyles and religious head coverings....more
In the past month, Pennsylvania and its two largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, enacted legislation that will affect employers across the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania adopted legislation to protect against...more
Pennsylvania just became the latest state to enact hair-based antidiscrimination protections in the workplace and beyond, and employers must get familiar with new rules before they take effect in January. We’ll answer your...more
Just before Thanksgiving, Pennsylvania gave some employees another reason to give thanks. On November 25, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act...more
Pennsylvania has officially joined the growing number of jurisdictions prohibiting discrimination based on hair type, styles, and textures and some hair coverings. On Nov. 25, 2025, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed House Bill...more
On November 25, 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act into law. The CROWN Act prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles and head coverings...more
Employers should review their grooming and dress code policies in light of Pennsylvania’s recent adoption of a CROWN Act, “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” through an amendment to the Pennsylvania Human...more
On October 14, 2025, Cuyahoga County became the first county in Ohio to pass its own version of the CROWN Act, expanding local anti-discrimination protections to include natural hairstyles. The ordinance prohibits...more
On October 14, 2025, Cuyahoga County Council voted to pass the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (“CROWN”) Act. This new ordinance bans discrimination based on hair texture and style, if such hair texture...more
The workplace landscape has shifted, and with it, employee attire. As employees return to the office, many opt for more casual wear, such as jeans and polo shirts, or even summer-appropriate clothing like tank tops and...more
In 2019, California became the first state to pass the CROWN Act—short for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. This legislation prohibits discrimination based on natural hair textures and protective...more
In the ever-evolving landscape of workplace discrimination laws, savvy employers are reexamining longstanding policies—including those that may not seem controversial at first glance. One of the most commonly overlooked (yet...more
March is a month dedicated to a number of social issues relating to diversity, inclusion and human rights. They include International Women’s Day, Black History Month and Zero Discrimination Day: all of which are moments to...more
In 2024, we witnessed a wave of transformative changes in employment laws, from expanded leave protections and new paid leave mandates to increased pay transparency requirements for employers....more
The California minimum wage has now increased from $16 per hour to $16.50 per hour. Correspondingly, the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees has increased to $68,640 annually, $5,720 monthly or $1,320 weekly....more
The Allen Matkins Labor & Employment Practice provides annual updates to California law on amended discrimination laws, captive audience bans, freelance worker protections, and updated leave requirements....more
The new year provides an excellent opportunity for employers of all sizes to update their employee handbooks and policies to stay compliant with new laws and regulations. This is especially true in California, where...more
In the spirit of the season, we are using our annual "12 Days of California Labor and Employment" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on employers. On the third day of the holidays, my labor and...more
Governor Newsom recently signed an amendment to the CROWN Act (which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) extending the Act’s reach. Specifically, the amendment, Assembly Bill 1815, makes two...more
In this brief update, we detail several changes impacting employers in jurisdictions across the nation. California- •California’s Department of Industrial Relations issued updated FAQs for the State’s Private Attorney...more
With the Governor’s September 30 deadline to sign bills behind us, we review the employment bills that made the cut to become laws, as well as those that didn’t survive the season. The most notable new laws read...more
On September 26, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1815, which amends the definition of “race” in the anti-discrimination provisions of the California Government Code, and Education Code, as well as the...more
Several changes impacting employers in jurisdictions across the nation are summarized in our latest blog post. California - Effective July 1, 2024- On July 1, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2288 (A.B. 2288)...more