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By run-ADP

Select the state(s) in which your company operates for a summary of compliance requirements that took effect recently or will take effect over the next few months.

California | District of Columbia | Illinois | Iowa | Maryland | Minnesota | New Jersey | New Hampshire | New York | Oregon | Rhode Island | Texas | Vermont

California:
July 1:
California expands paid sick leave. Providers of in-home supportive services who work in California for 30 or more days within a year from their start of employment are entitled to paid sick leave. Previously, these individuals weren’t covered by the state’s paid sick leave law.

California issues regulations on national origin discrimination. The California Fair Employment and Housing Council (FEHC) has published final regulations clarifying the state’s prohibitions on national origin discrimination and harassment.

Los Angeles, CA increases minimum wage. For employers with 25 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour. For larger employers, the minimum wage increases to $13.25 per hour.

San Francisco, CA increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $15.00 per hour.

San Francisco, CA bans salary history inquiries. Employers are prohibited from asking about an applicant’s salary history. The state of California already instituted a ban on salary history inquiries, effective January 1, 2018. San Francisco employers will need to coordinate compliance with both laws.

San Francisco, CA expands requirement to supplement state Paid Family Leave. Employers that operate in San Francisco and have 20 to 34 employees (regardless of location) must supplement the state’s Paid Family Leave benefits when employees take leave to bond with a child after birth, adoption, or foster placement. Larger employers are already subject to this requirement.

October 1:
San Francisco, CA amends Fair Chance Ordinance. San Francisco has enacted amendments to its Fair Chance Ordinance (“FCO”), which restricts the use of criminal histories to make employment decisions.

District of Columbia:
July 1:
DC increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $13.25 per hour.

Illinois:
July 1:
Chicago, IL increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
Cook County, IL increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $11.00 per hour.
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 minimum wage requirement in the cities and villages where they have a place of business or employees working to confirm their compliance obligations.

Iowa:
July 1:
Iowa amends rule on alcohol testing policies. The level of alcohol concentration that would be deemed a violation of the company’s alcohol testing policy must be no less than 0.02.

Maryland:
July 1:
Maryland increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $10.10 per hour.
Montgomery County, MD increases minimum wage. For employers with 50 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour. For larger employers, the minimum wage increases to $12.25 per hour.

Minnesota:
July 1:
Minneapolis, MN increases minimum wage. For employers with 100 or fewer employees, the minimum wage increases to $10.25 per hour. For larger employers, the minimum wage increases to $11.25 per hour.

New Jersey:
July 1:
New Jersey expands equal pay protections. Among other things, employers are prohibited from paying an employee who is a “member of a protected class” less than employees who are not members of the protected class for substantially similar work.
October 29:
New Jersey requires paid sick leave. Employers must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees who perform work in New Jersey.

New Hampshire:
July 29:
New Hampshire clarifies pay deadlines. Employers must pay all wages within a certain period of time following the end of the employee’s pay schedule.

New York:
July 11:
New York adopts new rules for preventing harassment. Generally, written contracts cannot contain mandatory arbitration clauses for resolving sexual harassment claims. Also, employers are prohibited from including in any settlement agreement a clause that would prevent the disclosure of the underlying facts and circumstances of a sexual harassment claim.
October 9:
New York adopts new rules for preventing harassment. Employers must adopt a model sexual harassment prevention policy and model sexual harassment prevention training program.

Oregon:
July 1:
Oregon enacts scheduling requirements for certain establishments. Employers in the retail, food services, and hospitality industries employing 500 or more employees worldwide must comply with various scheduling practices.
Oregon increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $10.50 per hour (non-urban counties), $10.75 per hour (other counties except Metro Portland), and $12.00 per hour (Metro Portland).

Rhode Island:
July 1:
Rhode Island enacts sick leave law. Employers with 18 or more employees working in the state must allow employees to accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 35 hours worked (up to 24 hours). Smaller employers must also provide leave, but it may be unpaid.

Texas:
October 1:
Austin, TX enacts paid sick leave. Employers must allow employees to accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Note: Employers with less than six employees have until October 1, 2020 to comply.

Vermont:
July 1:
Vermont requires identification of gender-free single restrooms. All single-user toilet facilities in any public place of business must be identified and available for use by any gender.
Vermont restricts pay history inquiries. Employers are prohibited from asking applicants about their pay history.
Vermont expands protections for crime victims. Crime victims are expressly protected by the state’s nondiscrimination law and may be eligible to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for reasons related to their status as a crime victim.

Note: The local minimum wage rates covered above address larger U.S. cities. Several smaller cities also increased their minimum wage rates for July 1, 2018. Check your local minimum wage to ensure compliance.

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