With a new year come new laws. This year,\nthere are dozens of federal and state laws joining or changing existing\nemployment laws. California saw one major change that affects anyone who works\nas a contractor rather than an employee. Minimum wages went up in several\ncities. Other states saw big changes affecting their potential to secure a job.\nWhile employers work hard to make sure they’re meeting these changes, you\nshould know the changes that are most likely to affect you in California and\nbeyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the start of 2020 came a change to how\nindependent contract workers are classified. Companies that hire freelance\nwriters, designers, and other contractors must now designate those workers as\ncompany employees and provide the employees with medical benefits and paid\nvacations\/time off. While the bill was designed to protect these workers, it’s\nled to some freelancers losing work, and some freelance job posts now specify\nthat applicants cannot be from California. If you were fired due to this law\nchange, it may be worth talking to an employment law attorney to see if your\ncontract allowed for immediate dismissal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another employment law change in California\naffects new moms. If a woman is pumping her breast milk at work, she must be\ngiven accommodations in a private location. Bathrooms don’t count. The\naccommodations must include a sink, refrigerator, electrical outlets, and table\nor counter near the seating. That room must be private and sufficient time must\nbe given to allow the worker to pump milk during the workday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the minimum wage increased to $13 on\nJanuary 1st, some cities saw increases that exceeded that. Daly City, San Diego, and Sonoma saw minimum\nwage climb to the range of $13 to $13.75 per hour, though smaller employers in\nSonoma were able to keep that increase to $12.50. Oakland and San Leandro\nincreased the minimum wage to $14.14 and $14, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belmont, Cupertino, El Cerrito, Palo Alto,\nRedwood, Santa Clara, San Jose, San Mateo, and South San Francisco all saw\nminimum wage climb to $15 to $15.60 per hour. Mountain View increases its wage\nto $16.05.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Except for workers whose job is to ensure the\nsafety of others, Nevada employers are no longer allowed to refuse to hire\nsomeone who has tested positive for marijuana use. As both recreational and\nmedical marijuana are allowed in Nevada, this bill is designed to stop\ndiscrimination against marijuana users. It’s only workers like firefighters,\nparamedics, and police offers who may still be tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maine and New York have similar jobs. If\nyou’re applying for a job in those states and are a marijuana user, you cannot\nbe overlooked simply because you tested positive for THC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you apply for a job in New Jersey, the\nprospective employer cannot ask you how much you were making at your last job.\nThe law prevents companies from asking what your previous wage and value of\nbenefits. The goal is to keep companies from weeding out qualified workers who\nmade more than they want to pay. It’s also designed to stop companies from\noffering a lower wage than originally planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Oregon Fair Employment Practices Act is\nchanging to make sure that any company with six or more employees offer\naccommodations for any pregnant worker or new mom. If a pregnant worker is\nsupposed to stay off her feet, she must be granted a chair to sit on while she\nworks. If she works with chemicals and is told by her doctor to stop that\nportion of her job until the baby arrives, the company must alter her work\nresponsibilities for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until now, the qualifying salary for overtime\npay was $23,660 per year. The Fair Labor Standards Act protected workers\nearning no more than $455 a week with the guarantee of time and a half overtime\npay. That qualifying salary increased to $35,568 on January 1, 2020. If you do\nnot make more than $684 per week, you’re guaranteed the time and a half pay for\nany overtime you work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is great news for many workers as the\nlast increase took place back in 2009. There are still exemptions from this\nrule. Farmworkers on small farms, fishermen\/seamen, newspaper delivery workers,\nand seasonal workers are some of the people that are not protected by this\nrule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting in 2020, employees in Washington\nstate have the right to take up to 18 weeks of paid family and medical leave.\nWashington D.C. will follow in July, and Massachusetts will follow in 2021.\nWorkers can now take weeks off with pay for medical situations,\nbirths\/adoptions, and family emergencies. Currently, the federal Family and Medical\nLeave Act only requires companies to give up to 12 weeks off unpaid if that\ncompany has at least 50 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In California, the Paid Family Leave Ordinance\nincreases paid time off for parents to eight weeks. SB-83 shifts the current\nsix weeks to eight weeks on July 1st.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you think your employer may be in violation\nof a new law? Shegerian Conniff brings years of experience, including trials\nand battles with major corporations and insurance companies, to the table. They\nare experts in employment law and have helped clients win millions in both\nsettlements and verdicts. You never pay a fee unless your attorneys win, and\nthey’re there for you 24 hours a day. Call 310-322-7500<\/a> for a free\nconsultation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a new year come new laws. This year, there are dozens of federal and state laws joining or changing existing employment laws. California saw one major change that affects anyone who works as a contractor rather than an employee. … Continue reading