RSA 265-79-c takes effect on July 1, 2015. The new law prohibits New Hampshire drivers from using “any hand-held mobile electronic device capable of providing voice or data communication” while driving or while temporarily halted in traffic, at a stop sign or red light, or any other momentary delay. “Use” is defined broadly, and includes
Massachusetts Attorney General announces Safe Harbor that grants temporary reprieve from earned sick time law for employers with existing PTO policies
With the July 1 effective date for the new Massachusetts earned sick time law looming, the anxiety level of employers is on the rise. Proposed regulations for implementing the law are yet to be finalized, and payroll providers are still working through how
Unlimited PTO: Solution or Problem?
Has your company considered offering your employees unlimited Paid Time Off (“PTO”)? Many businesses challenged with wanting to recruit and retain the best talent are experimenting with providing new and arguably better benefits to employees. PTO combines an employee’s vacation time, sick days,
Attorney General’s Proposed Regulations Provide Answers To Many Questions About Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law
Ever since Massachusetts voters approved the new Earned Sick Time Law last November, employers have been asking questions about how the law will be implemented, and what effect it will have on existing paid time off policies. Some of these questions are finally being answered. Last Friday, Attorney General Maura Healey filed draft regulations with the Secretary of State spelling out her proposal for how the technical details of the law will work.
Continue Reading Attorney General’s Proposed Regulations Provide Answers To Many Questions About Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law
Hiring Underage Workers? Take a Minute to Read NH’s Youth Employment Laws
While the weather may not feel like it yet, summer will be here before long and businesses may be looking to hire youths under 18 years old. Youth labor laws were adopted by the federal government (FLSA) and states to protect children and generally prohibit minors from working excessive hours, operating unsafe machinery, and working
NLRB’s General Counsel Issues Guidance on Employee Handbook Provisions
On March 18, 2015, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) issued a report setting out the NLRB’s view on employee handbook policy language.
Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, which is enforced by the NLRB, protects employees’ rights to engage in certain protected activities. As explained in the report,
Have NH’s Agencies Finally Solved the Independent Contractor Inequity? HB 450 Passed by NH House of Representatives.
NH Department of Labor Commissioner, James Craig, took the bull by the horns this past year and, with a determination not often seen by Commissioners, brought interested parties together to craft a definition of ‘employee’ that would apply to all matters before the NH Department of Labor (NH DOL) and NH Employment Security (NH ES).
New Massachusetts Parental Leave Act Expands Current Maternity Leave Law
In one of his last official acts as governor, Deval Patrick signed into law the new Massachusetts Parental Leave Act. The new law, which goes into effect on April 7, 2015, expands the current Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act to cover
Equal Pay Law Change and New Mandatory Poster in Effect January 1, 2015
As discussed by Nicholas Casolaro in his blog post from August, the NH law which goes into effect January 1st relative to equal pay prevents employers from discriminating between employees on the basis of sex by paying employees of one sex
Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk, et. al: US Supreme Court Reverses Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Warehouse Workers’ Time spent in Post-Shift Security Screen Not Compensable
In a unanimous decision, the US Supreme Court once again addressed the issue of whether time the employer requires an employee to do something is compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Integrity Staffing required its warehouse workers whose job it was to retrieve inventory and package it for shipment to undergo an antitheft security screening before leaving the warehouse each day. During the screening, employees removed items such as wallets, keys, and belts and passed through metal detectors. Employees filed suit for unpaid wages arguing that the time spent waiting for and being screened was compensable, in part because they were required by the employer to do so.
Continue Reading Integrity Staffing Solutions v. Busk, et. al: US Supreme Court Reverses Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: Warehouse Workers’ Time spent in Post-Shift Security Screen Not Compensable