On September 28, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1162 into law, effectively amending Section 12999 of the Government Code and Section 432.3 of the Labor Code, which expands pay data reporting obligations, requires certain-sized employers to provide the pay scale for an open position in job postings and imposes new record-keeping requirements. It will become effective on January 1, 2023.
Continue reading “California Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Pay Transparency Bill”
On August 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) revised Directive 2022-01 (DIR 2022-01) to clarify its earlier guidance addressing federal government contractors’ regulatory requirement to evaluate compensation as part of their affirmative action programming. Originally referred to as the “pay equity audit,” OFCCP Director Jenny Yang noted in her accompanying DOL blog post that the change in terminology from “pay equity audit” to “compensation analysis” was made to avoid any confusion regarding the nature of contractor obligations.
Continue reading “OFCCP Revises Recent Directive on Compensation Analysis”
In June 2021, the Illinois Equal Pay Act (IEPA) was amended to add a requirement for certain Illinois businesses to obtain an equal pay registration certificate (EPRC). The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) issued its long awaited proposed rules regarding the EPRC requirements on May 20, 2022. The proposed rules are subject to a 45-day comment period, which has now passed, followed by an internal review, and a public hearing on August 9, which may result in additional changes before they become final.
However, some Illinois employers have already received notice of a deadline to file their Application for Certification before the rules are finalized. Therefore, a careful review of the proposed rules is helpful as we anticipate issuance of the final rules. While the proposed rules largely mirror statutory requirements (the basics which were laid out in prior posts here and here), IDOL has clarified or provided additional information on a number of topics.
There have been several developments in Irish employment law in recent months. These developments include requirements for gender pay gap reporting, expanded protections for whistleblowers, family leave and flexible work arrangements provisions, a recent court decision relevant to the gig economy, and the European Commission’s infringement notice against Ireland for its failure to comply with the European Union’s Directive on European Works Councils. Employers should examine their policies and procedures to ensure that they are complying with these new measures.
Last year, Ireland enacted the Gender Pay Gap Information Act (the “Act”), which requires organizations to report their gender pay gap metrics. Regulations under the Act went into effect May 31, 2022 and require organizations with more than 250 employees to report their gender pay gap information in 2022.
Continue reading “Recent Developments in Irish Employment Law”
On July 28, 2022, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued important clarifications about the certification process through its Federal Contractor Portal (Portal). As previously reported, the Portal is new this year and required federal contractors and subcontractors (contractors) to certify the status of their annual affirmative action plan (AAP) for each establishment before June 30, 2022. In its bulletin update communicated to subscribers by email, the OFCCP stated that — although the portal remains currently open — it has not extended the June 30 deadline and that contractors that have not yet registered and certified their AAP compliance should do so as soon as possible. But it also explained that the agency will consider those contractors that requested assistance from the OFCCP on or before June 30, 2022 — but have not yet completed registration or certification because of a pending request for assistance — to have met the June 30 deadline.
Continue reading “OFCCP Issues Important Update About Contractor Portal Certification Process”
Alabama
Leave Benefits for Adoption: Alabama’s Adoption Promotion Act (the Act) takes effect on July 1, 2022 and requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child. The Act also mandates that employers who provide paid leave benefits and additional leave considerations for the birth of a child provide similar benefits for adoption.
Marketplace Contractors: Effective July 1, 2022, marketplace contractors are not considered employees under workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance laws (if certain conditions are met). Marketplace contractors are persons/entities who enter into agreements with marketplace platforms to be connected with third parties seeking services — such as drivers for Uber and Lyft.
Arizona
Expansion of Employer Definition under Sexual Harassment Discrimination: Arizona enacted a change to the sexual harassment provisions of existing employment discrimination law, so that the law applies to any employers or their agents who commit sexual harassment or retaliate against someone for reporting it.
Continue reading “State & Local Employment Law Developments: Q2 2022”