Labor Law Updates

The federal-level minimum wage hasn’t budged since 2009, remaining at $7.25/hr. a full decade later. On the state level, however, it’s quite a different story. During this time, numerous states and cities have stepped in and passed their own, higher minimum wages. In the past year alone, minimum wage increases took effect in approximately 75 states, cities and counties across the nation. These increases make up the biggest portion of mandatory postings employers must monitor and manage.

When Donald Trump became President, he and the new Republican administration promised a decrease — or even rollback — of federal employment laws and regulations. But has federal deregulation eased the compliance burden? Surprisingly, the answer is no. When federal activity slows, states and cities step in to fill the gaps.

Labor law issues continued to make news in 2017, as state and local governments adopted new legislation at a frenzied pace. The new laws resulted in an array of posting changes, with an emphasis on minimum wage and paid sick leave.

Ashley Kaplan, Esq., who heads the expert legal team for Poster Guard® Compliance Protection, answers questions about labor law posting requirements, discusses common posting mistakes, the risks of non-compliance and why it’s important to get it right.

Offering job-protected time off and upping the minimum wage rate are two ways lawmakers across the country are bypassing the inertia of federal government. It’s a national trend that’s gaining momentum as the state, county, and municipal governments from California to Chicago create progressive new laws that offer employees more generous protections than existing federal laws.