Monday, May 10, 2010

Labor Laws a Major Focus of State Legislatures

Labor and Employment: Here at LIS, we have observed a sharp increase in research projects related to California’s labor and employment laws, with numerous requests for Industrial Welfare Commission materials on Wage Orders and Labor Code legislation. Other states, too, are grappling with these issues:

  • Illinois SB 3566 , assigned to the House Labor Committee, creates the Abusive Work Environment Act, which provides findings and purposes of the Act; definitions; unlawful employment practices, including abusive work environment and retaliation; employer liability and affirmative defense; employee liability and affirmative defense; relief; procedures and limitations; effect of the Act on other legal relationships; and other matters.
  • New York S5254 and A2129 both affect the “Omnibus Prevailing Wage Enforcement Act” – S5254 to create the office of the prevailing wage fraud inspector general for increased vigilance in the effort to achieve prevailing wage enforcement; and allows public authorities to require that successful bidders for public works jobs participate in a state-sponsored apprenticeship program; and A2129 to amend the labor law, the general municipal law and the public offers law, in relation to the omnibus prevailing wage enforcement act and to amend the laws relating to establishing a public work enforcement fund and making an appropriation therefore, in relation to moneys accumulated in the public work enforcement fund.
  • Washington state HB 1642 , regarding meal and reset periods for employees of health care facilities, requires employees of health care facilities to be provided scheduled and uninterrupted meal and rest periods of a duration no less than specified in rules adopted by the department of labor and industries under chapter 49.12 RCW (industrial welfare) or as otherwise agreed to be provided by the employer, whichever is longer in duration.
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