Connecticut has joined the budding number of states legalizing recreational cannabis use. On June 22, 2021, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed An Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis (RERACA), which permits adults ages 21 and older to possess and use recreational cannabis. While the added strain on employers will not take effect until July 1, 2022, organizations should begin reviewing their current drug screening and testing policies and processes with employment counsel — and revisit training with hiring managers, HR professionals and supervisors.
Category: Counseling & Compliance Training
Equal Pay Compliance Statements – Yet Another Amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act
Earlier in the year, we reported here about recent amendments to the Illinois Equal Pay Act (“EPA”) that would require employers with more than 100 employees in the State of Illinois to obtain an equal pay registration certification from the Illinois Department of Labor (“IDOL”) by March 2024. On June 25, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed into law additional amendments to the section of the EPA that address this reporting requirement. In summary, the most recent amendments address the following:
Accrued but Unused Vacation Pay Must Be Paid Out Upon Termination of Employment in Colorado
Colorado’s Supreme Court found that Colorado employees receiving vacation time must be paid out accrued but unused time when their employment is terminated. In Carmen Nieto v. Clark’s Market, Inc., the state Supreme Court held that if an employer chooses to provide vacation pay, all accrued but unused vacation pay must be paid to employees upon termination and that no agreement to the contrary will be enforced.
Texas Federal Court Rejects Challenge to Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
While public health leaders continue to wrestle with vaccine hesitancy, businesses are wrestling with employee challenges to COVID-19 vaccination mandates. This Saturday marked a win for private employers after a Texas District Court tossed a lawsuit brought by over 100 hospital employees claiming they were subjected unlawfully to a COVID-19 vaccination policy as a condition of continued employment. Although the plaintiffs’ counsel has said they plan to appeal the decision, the order provides helpful precedent for other organizations mulling such vaccination mandates.
Illinois Employers – Are You Due for a Mid-Year Compliance Check-Up?
In the past 15 months, employers have juggled many new and unique situations. Indeed, employers have been navigating their way through complex federal, state and local COVID-19 guidelines, while their employees have faced their own challenges related to work, family, and possible health concerns. As more employees return to the office, it may be a good time for employers to conduct a mid-year compliance check-up to identify any areas that need attention as COVID-19 mitigation protocols wane. Here are a few areas that Illinois employers should consider reviewing.
Supreme Court Limits Application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Against Employees Who Abuse Their Network Access Credentials
In a decision handed down yesterday, the Supreme Court held that civil liability under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) does not attach for employees who abuse or misuse their access credentials in accessing their current or former employers’ computer networks. Rather, to be liable under the CFAA, the employees must access databases or other electronic materials that are outside of their access rights and otherwise off-limits to them.
The Case
The case, Van Buren v. United States, arose out of the actions of a former police sergeant. The former officer, Van Buren, used his valid login credentials to search his police department database for a particular license plate number in exchange for a bribe, but was caught by an FBI sting operation. Van Buren was charged with a felony violation of the CFAA—18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2). An individual is liable under this section (which can carry both civil and criminal penalties) if he “intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or exceeds authorized access.” The statute defines “exceeds authorized access” to mean “to access a computer with authorization and to use such access to obtain or alter information in the computer that the accesser is not entitled so to obtain or alter.” 18 U.S.C. § 1030(e)(6).