Labor Law Updates for June 2024
INFINITI HR is happy to provide Monthly State Labor Law Updates as a service to our subscribers. These briefs provide a general description and are not meant to be all-inclusive of compliance requirements. This list is not inclusive of all legislative changes for employers across the U.S. Changes may have been addressed in previous updates, which can be accessed from our blog.
Employers are encouraged to work with their Inspiring HR Consultant before making policy changes to capture the full requirements of these laws.
MARYLAND
Maryland Non-Compete Restrictions – Effective June 1, 2024 and June 1, 2025
A bill restricting the use of non-compete agreements and voiding current agreements in the veterinary fields goes into effect on June 1, 2024. A similar restriction impacts the medical field on June 1, 2025. These restrictions are separate from the recent Federal ban on non-competes, which is under legal review.
Maryland Pay Range Disclosure – Effective October 1, 2024
Beginning October 1, 2024, all Maryland employers will be required to include the reasonable minimum to maximum salary range, benefits, and other expected compensation for internal and external job postings. The range must be set in “good faith” based on at least one of the following:
- Pay scales for the position
- Previously determined wage range for the position
- Wage range of individuals in a comparable position at the time of posting
- The budgeted amount for the position.
Employers are expected to keep copies of postings for at least three years after the position is filled to demonstrate compliance with this new regulation. Employers are already prohibited from asking about current or prior salary, and while there are no provisions for private lawsuits in this new law, there are civil penalties of up to $600 per applicant per occurrence.
Maryland Paid Family Leave Implementation – Delayed
The implementation dates for the Maryland Paid Family Leave program have been pushed back to July 2025 for the tax increase and July 2026 for the paid benefits. Employers can opt out of this program by offering a comparable private plan to employees and splitting the cost with employees.
There are administrative updates to the information that must be included on paychecks and in anti-retaliation provisions in the state.
NEW YORK
New York Paid Lactation Breaks – Effective June 19, 2024
Effective June 19, 2024, New York employers will be required to provide a 30-minute paid break for employees each time they need to express breast milk for a nursing child. Employers must allow employees to use other paid break or meal time for time in excess of 30-minutes.
Employers are encouraged to review and update their existing break and meal period policies to ensure they are in compliance with the updated regulations.
New York Paid Prenatal Leave – Effective January 1, 2025
Beginning January 1, 2025, all New York employers will be required to provide Paid Prenatal Leave (PPL) to eligible employees. PPL provides employees with up to 20 hours of paid leave to employees for healthcare services related to their pregnancy, including physical examinations and routine visits, medical procedures, monitoring, and testing.
Employees are provided 20 hours of PPL in a lump sum, which may be taken in one-hour increments. PPL is separate from all other paid and unpaid leaves. If an employee exhausts their PPL, they may request to use their accrued Paid Sick Leave (PSL).
New York COVID Paid Sick Leave – Expires July 31, 2025
On July 31, 2025, the mandated New York COVID Paid Sick Leave will expire, and employers will no longer be required to provide paid COVID leave to employees. As of July 31, 2025, employees will be permitted to use any accrued Paid Sick Leave for COVID purposes.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Paid Family Leave Updated Poster – Effective Immediately
The DC paid family leave program has increased the maximum amounts provided, and a new poster is required. The poster should be made available to employees who indicate the need to take time off that may be covered by the paid family leave program.
Pay Transparency Provisions – Effective June 30, 2024
As of June 30, 2024, employers with one or more employees in Washington, DC have to complete a few steps, and are prohibited from taking some actions related to compensation and wage transparency:
- Employers are required to disclose good faith and reasonable minimum and maximum wage rates in all internal and external job postings. Before the first interview, the employer must disclose “other benefits,” such as bonuses and healthcare benefits, that employees are likely to receive. Job applicants will be able to ask about this information if not provided. Finally, employers will be required to post a workplace notice about these rights, but that notice has not been released yet.
- Employers are prohibited from asking about an applicant’s rate of pay from a prior employer, asking applicants about wage history by requiring it for an interview or offer, or asking about current or past wage history during the screening process. Employers are barred from prohibiting employee discussion about or disclosure of wages, and employees cannot be retaliated against for participating in wage discussions with other employees. Finally, employers are barred from discouraging employees from complaining or participating in an investigation relating to potential violations of this provision.
Interested in other current employment trends? Click the link to view the recent blog: Hiring for Skill and Culture in Today’s Job Market or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance, and benefits.
This article does not constitute legal advice, and there are subtle variations in employment law as it pertains to these topics, depending on where your business operates. It is strongly suggested that you seek consultation or legal counsel before.
