The minimum wage fight is already being waged at the state (and city) level
24 May, 2016
Estimated time to read: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
The federal hourly minimum wage has remained at $7.25 since 2009. For several years, the Obama administration has asked Congress to increase the federal minimum wage, to no avail. However, the federal minimum wage is just that: the least that employers must legally pay their employees. If a state w...
The Paid Leave Trend Continues at the State and City Level, With Federal Encouragement
10 May, 2016
Estimated time to read: 45 seconds
As the Obama administration continues to push for federal paid family and sick leave requirements, it’s also prompting state and local governments to take matters into their own hands. On May 5, the Labor Department announced that it’s offering $1 million in federal grants to allow state, county or...
Ban the Box: What Is It? Who Requires It?
12 April, 2016
Estimated time to read: 1 minute, 45 seconds
As public interest in reducing the U.S. prison population and recidivism rate grows, employers are being pushed to remove the check box on employment applications that asks applicants if they have a criminal record. These “ban-the-box” laws are gaining traction at both the state and local levels. A...
Three Cities Where Offering Commuter Benefits is the Law
09 March, 2016
Estimated time to read: 1 minute, 30 seconds
About 2.7 million U.S. workers receive pre-tax commuter benefits from their employers through an IRS Section 132 plan. At the federal level, legislation passed in late 2015 that established equal tax-free limits for transit passes, van-pool benefits and parking benefits, retroactive to January 1, 20...
How Do Changing Legal Protections Around Marijuana Affect the Workplace?
01 March, 2016
Estimated time to read: 1 minute, 15 seconds
The move to legalize or decriminalize marijuana use continues to gain traction state by state. For employers, it can seem disconcerting. What effect will all of this change have on the zero tolerance policies, drug-testing programs, and workplace safety strategies that are already established in the...
State-Sponsored Retirement Benefits for Private-Sector Workers: They’re Closer than You Think
19 January, 2016
Estimated time to read: 1 minute, 45 seconds
Sixty-eight million American workers in the private sector do not have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Twenty-six states are looking to change that by offering state-sponsored retirement plans—such as an automatic IRA or ERISA-compliant 401(k) account—that private-sector...