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Spring 2017 HR Compliance Calendar

Spring 2017 HR Compliance CalendarBelow is a summary of compliance requirements that took effect recently or will take effect over the next few months.

March 13, 2017:

  • San Jose, CA adopts scheduling ordinance. Employers with 36 or more non-exempt employees must offer additional work hours to existing qualified employees before hiring new employees, subcontractors, or temporary staff.

March 24, 2017:

  • ACA remains law. Proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were pulled from consideration by the House of Representatives. This means that the ACA and all of its requirements remain in effect at this time. Learn more.

April 1, 2017:

  • New SBC template required. A new Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) template must be used during open enrollments beginning on or after April 1, 2017.

May 15, 2017:

  • New York City enacts protections for freelancers. New protections for freelance workers address payment deadlines and require written contracts to include certain information.

May 23, 2017:

  • Philadelphia, PA restricts pay history inquiries. Employers are prohibited from asking about applicants’ pay history.: On April 19, 2017, a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking the enforcement of the ordinance while the court hears a motion from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, which is seeking a temporary injunction against the law. This means the city will not enforce the law while the motion for a temporary injunction is pending. The city is contesting whether the Chamber has standing to bring the motion for preliminary injunction, so that issue must be resolved first. We will continue to monitor the case and update this page as developments unfold.

July 1, 2017:

  • Arizona requires paid sick leave. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave per year. Smaller employers must provide at least 24 hours per year.
  • Chicago, IL requires paid sick leave. Employers must provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees who perform work in Chicago.
  • Cook County, IL requires paid sick leave. Employers must provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees who perform work in Cook County.
    Note: Illinois law allows cities and villages within a county to opt out of laws enacted by counties. Cook County employers should check on the status of the paid sick leave requirement in the cities and village where they have a place of business to confirm their compliance obligations.
  • District of Columbia increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.50 per hour.
  • Los Angeles, CA increases minimum wage. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases to $10.50 per hour. For employers with more than 25 employees, the minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
  • Maryland increases minimum wage. The state’s minimum wage increases to $9.25 per hour.
  • Montgomery County, MD increases minimum wage. The county’s minimum wage increases to $11.50 per hour.
  • Minneapolis, MN requires sick leave. Employers with six or more employees must provide up to 48 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees who perform work in Minneapolis. Smaller employers must also provide leave, but it may be unpaid.
  • New York requires deductions for paid family leave. New York State’s paid family leave program will provide employees with partial wage replacement benefits for family leave beginning in 2018. The program will be funded solely by employees through a payroll tax. Employers are expected to begin making payroll deductions for the program on July 1, 2017.
  • St. Paul, MN requires paid sick leave. Employers with 24 or more employees must provide up to 48 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees who perform work in St. Paul. Smaller employers have until January 1, 2018 to comply.
  • Oregon increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $11.25 per hour in metro Portland, $10.00 per hour in non-urban counties, and $10.25 per hour in all other counties. Learn more.
  • OSHA requires electronic reporting. Employers in certain industries must submit injury and illness data electronically.
  • San Francisco, CA requires fully paid family leave. When an employee receives wage replacement under California’s paid family leave program, San Francisco employers with 35 or more employees must pay the remaining portion of the eligible employee’s normal pay. This requirement took effect for employers with 50 or more employees on January 1.
  • San Francisco, CA increases minimum wage. The city’s minimum wage increases to $14.00 per hour.
  • Santa Monica, CA increases minimum wage. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases to $10.50 per hour. For employers with more than 25 employees, the minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
  • Seattle, WA requires certain scheduling practices. Certain retail establishments, food services businesses, and full-service restaurants with 500 or more employees worldwide must provide employees with 14 days’ advance notice of their work schedule and provide an additional hour of pay if a schedule change occurs after the required notice period.
  • Vermont restricts criminal history inquiries. Employers are generally prohibited from asking about applicants’ criminal history on initial job applications.

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