Pay equity spreads to Connecticut
Last week, Connecticut became the latest state to enact pay equity. The "Pay Equity" bill goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019 and will prohibit employers from asking about salary history during the hiring process, though they are allowed to ask whether the candidate received stock options or other incentives. "Even as they work harder and harder, the pay gap between men and women who are doing the same job continues to grow — particularly among women of color, and that is completely unacceptable," Malloy said, according to The Connecticut Post.
Similar bans are on the books in California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon and Vermont. Who's next? A similar bill was approved by the Illinois Senate this week but has yet to be signed by the governor, who vetoed such a bill last year.
Maryland says #MeToo
Maryland is the latest state to crack down on sexual harassment. The "Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018" was signed on May 15 and will go into effect on October 1. The act prohibits employers, regardless of size, from creating policies or agreements that curtail employees right to pursue a sexual harassment claim.
A second provision applies to employers with 50 more more employees and requires them to two surveys reporting the number of monetary settlements paid to settle sexual harassment allegations, settlements related to the same employee and settlements that involved a confidentiality provision. The first survey will be due by July 1, 2020, and the second July 1, 2022.
Pregnancy protections in South Carolina
Employers in South Carolina must immediately begin notifying new employees of their "right to be free from discrimination for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions" as part of the South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodation Act, which was signed on May 17. Employers must also inform all existing employees of their rights before September 14, 2018.
The act, an amendment of the state's Human Affairs Law, is intended to combat discrimination and ensure full rights for women in the workplace. The amendment also includes a requirement that employers provide reasonable accommodation for pregnant and nursing mothers, largely mirroring existing federal legislation.
Employers embrace arbitration
The Supreme Court's recent ruling allowing employers to require arbitration agreements as a condition of employment is already impacting how companies do business. Currently, an estimated 54 percent of non-union workers abide by arbitration agreements, but such agreements could quickly become a normal part of the hiring process, experts say. "The more sophisticated employer or corporation will act on the arbitration clause immediately since the Supreme Court decision removed the uncertainty about the ramifications of these agreements," Clermont Ripley, a staff attorney with the N.C. Justice Center, told the Winston-Salem Journal.
Indeed, home improvement giant Lowes was quick to take action, requiring all of its managers and assistant managers to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of continued participation in the company's Manager Bonus Program. Such bonuses are a major incentive for Lowes managers and can be worth several thousands of dollars.
Vermont employers prepare for legalized marijuana
The shifting patchwork of marijuana legislation has left many employers cloudy on what is and isn't allowed in the workplace. Beginning July 1, Vermont's new recreational marijuana law goes into effect, but that doesn't mean employees can light up on the clock.
The state's assistant attorney general clarified the actions still available to employers after the law goes into effect. Not only can they continue to prohibit drug use in the workplace, but they can also continue drug test employees--provided they follow proper procedure. For potential new employees, this involves testing only after a job offer is extended and must be done by an approved lab; for existing employees, testing can only be done with probable cause. And a first-time failure is not cause for firing; the employer must offer the employee the option of attending rehab. A second offense after this, however, can be grounds for firing.
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Pay equity spreads to Connecticut
Last week, Connecticut became the latest state to enact pay equity. The "Pay Equity" bill goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019 and will prohibit employers from asking about salary history during the hiring process, though they are allowed to ask whether the candidate received stock options or other incentives. "Even as they work harder and harder, the pay gap between men and women who are doing the same job continues to grow — particularly among women of color, and that is completely unacceptable," Malloy said, according to The Connecticut Post.
Similar bans are on the books in California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon and Vermont. Who's next? A similar bill was approved by the Illinois Senate this week but has yet to be signed by the governor, who vetoed such a bill last year.
Maryland says #MeToo
Maryland is the latest state to crack down on sexual harassment. The "Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act of 2018" was signed on May 15 and will go into effect on October 1. The act prohibits employers, regardless of size, from creating policies or agreements that curtail employees right to pursue a sexual harassment claim.
A second provision applies to employers with 50 more more employees and requires them to two surveys reporting the number of monetary settlements paid to settle sexual harassment allegations, settlements related to the same employee and settlements that involved a confidentiality provision. The first survey will be due by July 1, 2020, and the second July 1, 2022.
Pregnancy protections in South Carolina
Employers in South Carolina must immediately begin notifying new employees of their "right to be free from discrimination for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions" as part of the South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodation Act, which was signed on May 17. Employers must also inform all existing employees of their rights before September 14, 2018.
The act, an amendment of the state's Human Affairs Law, is intended to combat discrimination and ensure full rights for women in the workplace. The amendment also includes a requirement that employers provide reasonable accommodation for pregnant and nursing mothers, largely mirroring existing federal legislation.
Employers embrace arbitration
The Supreme Court's recent ruling allowing employers to require arbitration agreements as a condition of employment is already impacting how companies do business. Currently, an estimated 54 percent of non-union workers abide by arbitration agreements, but such agreements could quickly become a normal part of the hiring process, experts say. "The more sophisticated employer or corporation will act on the arbitration clause immediately since the Supreme Court decision removed the uncertainty about the ramifications of these agreements," Clermont Ripley, a staff attorney with the N.C. Justice Center, told the Winston-Salem Journal.
Indeed, home improvement giant Lowes was quick to take action, requiring all of its managers and assistant managers to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of continued participation in the company's Manager Bonus Program. Such bonuses are a major incentive for Lowes managers and can be worth several thousands of dollars.
Vermont employers prepare for legalized marijuana
The shifting patchwork of marijuana legislation has left many employers cloudy on what is and isn't allowed in the workplace. Beginning July 1, Vermont's new recreational marijuana law goes into effect, but that doesn't mean employees can light up on the clock.
The state's assistant attorney general clarified the actions still available to employers after the law goes into effect. Not only can they continue to prohibit drug use in the workplace, but they can also continue drug test employees--provided they follow proper procedure. For potential new employees, this involves testing only after a job offer is extended and must be done by an approved lab; for existing employees, testing can only be done with probable cause. And a first-time failure is not cause for firing; the employer must offer the employee the option of attending rehab. A second offense after this, however, can be grounds for firing.
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Pay equity spreads to Connecticut
Last week, Connecticut became the latest state to enact pay equity. The "Pay Equity" bill goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019 and will prohibit employers from asking about salary history during the hiring process, though they are allowed to ask whether the candidate received stock options or other incentives. "Even as they work harder and harder, the pay gap between men and women who are doing the same job continues to grow — particularly among women of color, and that is completely unacceptable," Malloy said, according to The Connecticut Post.
Similar bans are on the books in California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon and Vermont. Who's next? A similar bill was approved by the Illinois Senate this week but has yet to be signed by the governor, who vetoed such a bill last year.
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Emily Payne
Emily Payne is director, content analytics for ALM's Business & Finance Markets and former managing editor for BenefitsPRO. A Wisconsin native, she has spent the past decade writing and editing for various athletic and fitness publications. She holds an English degree and Business certificate from the University of Wisconsin.
