Monthly Archives: March 2024

Applies to: All Employers with Independent Contractors Effective: March 1, 2024 Quick Look The CDC eliminates COVID-19 testing protocols and isolation periods following 24 hours after fever elimination without the use of fever-reducing medication. People must still take precautions during the five days following return to normal activity. There is no change to prevention and

Applies to: All Employers Effective: As Indicated Quick Look USCIS increased the filing fees for certain immigration and naturalization benefit requests. Fiscal Year 2025 H-1B cap lottery opens on Wednesday March 6, 2024 at noon ET and ends on Friday March 22, 2024 at noon ET. USCIS will implement a new “beneficiary-centric” system in an

Applies to: All Employers Effective: February 12, 2024 Quick Look Workers participating in or otherwise involved in a federal, state, or local labor and employment agency investigation or enforcement action are eligible for deferred action from DHS. Deferred action is a deferred removal action for a noncitizen for a certain time period. DHS may also

Applies to: All Publicly Traded Companies Effective: February 8, 2024 Quick Look The Supreme Court clarifies the framework for whistleblower claims under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Plaintiffs do not need to prove “retaliatory intent,” but instead need to prove that their whistleblower activity was a contributing factor in their termination. DISCUSSION In Murray v. UBS Securities,

Applies to: All Employers of First Responders Effective: Pending Quick Look OSHA’s proposed Emergency Response Rule (Proposed Rule) seeks to provide basic workplace protections for workers who respond to emergencies as part of their regularly assigned duties. The Proposed Rule would expand the scope of protected workers to those who provide emergency medical services and

Applies to: All Employers with Employees in ME Effective: February 1, 2024 Quick Look Maine’s Equal Pay Act does not require a showing of intent to prove pay discrimination. The only allowable reasons for paying someone of the opposite sex a higher wage for the same kind of work are seniority, merit pay, or shift

Applies to: All Employers subject to the CCPA/CPRA Effective: February 9, 2024 Quick Look The CPRA is enforceable as of February 9, 2024 by the CPPA. Employers must act now to ensure compliance. DISCUSSION Although the law has been in effect, enforcement of the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) was stayed on June 30, 2023

Applies to: Private Employers with 100+ EEs filing EEO-1 Reports Effective: February 1, 2024 Quick Look Employers must use updated report templates when filing pay data reports by May 8, 2024. Reports must now identify whether workers are remote. Employers cannot report “unknown” data for labor contractor employees. DISCUSSION Private employers with 100 or more

Applies to: All Employers with Employees in CA Effective: February 23, 2024 Quick Look Los Angeles County Superior Court is no longer offering criminal search matches based on partial birth dates. Employers must reevaluate their background screen programs for compliance. DISCUSSION In 2021, in All of Us or None v. Hamrick, the California Court of Appeal

Applies to: All Employers with Employees in OR Effective: January 12, 2024 Quick Look The Oregon Employment Department issued final rules for Paid Leave Oregon. The final rules provide clarifications for safe leave documentation, affinity status of a family member, job protection, health insurance premium repayment, equivalent plans and reporting, and dispute resolution. DISCUSSION The