A Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled this week that lawmakers violated the Michigan state constitution back in 2018 when they passed a pending ballot petition and then amended it to a format more to their liking. A provision in the state constitution, known as the adopt and amend provision seemingly allows the legislature to…
Read More »As businesses all around the country and in just about every industry wrestle with high inflation, the ongoing pandemic and its struggles, supply chain issues, escalating labor cost, and other issues, the state of California continues to pile additional burdens on business. Currently, there’s a trifecta of trouble brewing for businesses in the Golden State.…
Read More »Passed as part of the 2023 state budget, New Hampshire now has a paid sick leave program with the state paying the premium for state employees while private employers and employees may opt-in, at a price. Under the plan, which will pay benefits up to 60 percent of an employee’s wages for up to six…
Read More »The Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) along with other advocacy groups One Fair Wage and Mothering Justice this week filed a lawsuit against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel alleging that legislative changes made to the state minimum wage law were unconstitutional. To put the issue in context, One Fair Wage initiated a petition drive in 2018…
Read More »In the same vein, the Department of Labor (DOL) also announced this week that it was launching a new initiative aimed at strengthening the rights of workers. This new effort, entitled “Essential Workers, Essential Protections”, provides workers with information about the wage and hour laws that apply to them, including instructions on how to contact DOL with questions or complaints.…
Read More »Following the lead of a host of other states along with a growing list of counties and cities, the “Land of Enchantment” last week became the latest state to enact a broad statewide paid leave mandate on private employers. The New Mexico Healthy Workplaces Act (HWA) was signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham…
Read More »A federal court in Dallas Texas has permanently enjoined the city of Dallas from implementing its paid sick leave law finding the 2019 ordinance to be in conflict with state law. The Texas Minimum Wage Act (TMWA) establishes the minimum wage in the state currently at $7.25 per hour, the same as the federal rate.…
Read More »Notwithstanding the adoption of the FFCRA and its expanded paid leave for all employees across the country, the New York state legislature passed its own permanent paid leave benefits for all employees in the Empire State. Just a few weeks after passing a COVID-19 specific paid leave law, legislators approved a state budget that also…
Read More »As of this writing, COVID-19 has caused 48 of the 50 United States to declare public emergencies at the state level to some degree or another. Only Oklahoma and West Virginia have yet to make such a declaration. In each of the states, the public emergency declaration gives the governments additional tools, flexibility and power…
Read More »US House leadership has introduced legislation that was to be voted yesterday that in the face of the coronavirus, would mandate paid sick leave for all Americans, among other provisions. As to the sick leave mandate, the initial draft of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act would mandate up to 14 days of paid sick…
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