In what is the latest development in states taking an increasingly employee-protective stance on restrictive employment covenants, New Hampshire has enacted new legislation that threatens the validity of restrictive covenants. The new legislation requires employers to provide a copy of any non-compete or non-piracy agreement that is a condition of the employment agreement to an […]
John Welsh was recognized as the “Massachusetts Labor & Employment Attorney of the Year” by Corporate INTL Magazine in their 2011 Global Awards. Bello Black & Welsh has been recognized by U.S. News as one of the “Best Law Firms” in 2011-2012 in the area of management-side labor and employment law. Bello Black & Welsh […]
Effective January 2012, California employers will be required to comply with new regulations relating to gender discrimination, credit checks, and pregnancy leave healthcare coverage. Additional changes will be made to Commission-based employment regulations in January 2013. New Protection for Transgender Employees in California Effective January 2012, the “Gender Nondiscrimination Act” will add “gender expression” and […]
Effective July 1, 2012, gender identity will become a protected category under Massachusetts employment discrimination and other civil rights laws. The new legislation amends existing state anti-discrimination statutes to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, defined as an individual’s gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior, which may be different from that traditionally associated with the individual’s […]
Effective January 1, 2012 California employers will be required to comply with new requirements relating to employees and independent contractors. California law will now impose strict penalties for employers with workers in California found willfully to have misclassified workers as independent contractors. The so-called “Job Killer Act” will levy heavy fines on employers for voluntary […]
On September 19, 2011 the United States Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) signed a memorandum of understanding to increase the agencies’ coordination in their efforts to curtail employee misclassification. Seven states–Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah, and Washington–have already signed cooperation agreements with the DOL and IRS to combat employee misclassification. […]
Effective July 15, 2011, New York employers will be required to report to the State Directory of New Hires whether dependent health insurance benefits are made available to their employees. The Low Income Support Obligation and Performance Improvement Act of 2009 (the “Act”) applies to all New York employers and adds to their existing reporting […]
Effective July 21, 2011, changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) now require employers to disclose additional information to employees and job applicants when using credit information to make an adverse employment decision. The new disclosure requirements, resulting from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”), mandate that an employer making […]
The Connecticut Paid Sick Leave Act, which is awaiting signature by the Governor, will require employers employing 50 or more people within the state to provide qualified employees with one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked by the employee, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year. The Act, which […]
The federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prohibits discrimination against employees and job applicants on the basis of genetic information. GINA also limits employers’ ability to obtain genetic information and imposes obligations for keeping such information confidential. The EEOC recently issued regulations defining “genetic information” broadly to include not only genetic testing information, but also […]