Employment Legislation Outlook – October 2022

With new state employment laws continuously being enacted, it can be challenging to keep up on each change and ensure that your policies and practices are compliant. We have your solution.

This monthly digest is designed to keep you apprised of upcoming major state law changes in areas including paid sick and safe leave laws, family and parental leave, recreational and medicinal marijuana use, workplace gun laws, asking candidates about salary history and unpredictable scheduling.

Here’s what’s on the horizon:

October 2022

• Maryland expands the duty to reasonably accommodate disabilities under its Fair Employment Practices Act to apply to applicants for employment effective October 1.
• Massachusetts CROWN Act, which bars discrimination based on hair styles or hair texture associated with race, effective October 22.
• San Francisco permanent public health emergency paid sick leave law effective October 1.
• D.C. Universal Paid Leave Act available leave increase effective October 1.
• Connecticut law prohibiting employment discrimination against victims of domestic violence and mandating that employers provide reasonable accommodation to employees seeking related services effective October 1.

November 2022

• New York City salary transparency requirements effective November 1.

January 2023

• California’s employee/HR data processing exemptions within the state’s Consumer Privacy Act expire January 1.
• Colorado paid family leave deductions begin January 1.
• Illinois revises the state’s meal and rest break law effective January 1.
• Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Act effective January 1.
• Illinois employers must begin filing annual reports similar to EEO-1 with the Illinois Secretary of State effective January 1.
• Illinois CROWN Act, which amends the definition of race under the state's Human Rights Act to include traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles, effective January 1.
• Maine vacation payout changes effective January 1.
• New Hampshire voluntary Paid Family Leave effective January 1.
• New York expands Paid Family Leave Act effective January 1.
• Oregon requires paid family leave contributions January 1.
• Oregon Workplace Fairness Act amendments effective January 1.
• Washington requirement to provide salary range and benefits in job postings effective January 1.

February 2023

• Michigan revised Earned Sick Time Act scheduled to go into effect in February.

May 2023

• Amendments to California’s Pay Transparency for Pay Equity Act effective in May.

July 2023

• Bloomington, Minnesota paid sick leave requirements effective July 1.

September 2023

• Oregon paid family leave benefits begin September 3.

October 2023

• Maryland paid family and medical leave contributions begin October 1.

2024

• California prohibits discrimination against off-duty use of cannabis and implements new marijuana drug screening requirements effective January 1.
• Colorado paid family leave benefits begin January 1.
• Illinois employers with more than 100 employees must file equal pay registration certificate effective March 23.

2025

• Maryland paid family and medical leave benefits begin January 1.
• Delaware paid family and medical leave law contributions expected to begin January 1.

2026

• Delaware paid family and medical leave benefits begin January 1.

In case you missed it:

September 2022

• Vaccine incentives and hiring and retention bonuses no longer excluded from the Oregon Equal Pay Act definition of compensation as of September 28.

COVID-19-Related Leave Law and Other Changes:

• New York vaccine paid leave effective through December 31, 2023.
• Massachusetts COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave effective May 29, 2021 through March 15, 2022.
• Nevada COVID-19 vaccine leave effective June 9, 2021.
• Cook County, Illinois COVID-19 vaccine leave effective July 1, 2021.
• New York City paid sick leave for children's vaccinations effective November 2, 2021.
• Washington, D.C. paid vaccination leave effective November 18, 2021.
• New York City vaccine mandate effective December 27, 2021.
• New York quarantine leave law extended into 2022.
• California supplemental paid sick leave available January 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022.
• Cal/OSHA changes to its COVID-19 prevention ETS effective May 6, 2022 through the end of 2022.
• Los Angeles County COVID-19 vaccine leave extended.
• Philadelphia COVID-19 leave extended until December 2023.
• Colorado PHEL extended through May 13, 2022.

What to Watch:

California is considering mandatory (unpaid) bereavement leave for employees. Few states have required bereavement time off, but this may be a growing trend, as California appears to be following Illinois’ lead on this topic.