APPLIES TO All Employers with ID Employees

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2020

QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call (888) 378-2456

July brings two new updates for Idaho employers with regard to driving and workers’ compensation coverage.

Cell Phone Use and Distracted Driving Prohibitions. Effective July 1, 2020, an individual may not operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device.  Exceptions to this new law are for public or consumer-owned utility employee or contractors acting within the scope of their employment when responding to a utility emergency. Infractions are punishable by monetary fines; however, infractions will not be issued until January 1, 2021.  Warnings may be given after July 1, 2020, with fines following infractions after the new year.

Unemployment and Workers’ Compensation.  Also effective July 1, 2020, the Idaho Code has been updated to add a “good cause” provision to the unemployment and experience rate calculation.  Situations “with good cause but for reasons not attributable to such covered employer” have been added to the list under which no charge will be made to the covered employer’s account.

Additionally, the deadline to submit forms to exempt corporate officers from workers’ compensation coverage has been changed.  Employers must submit the exemption forms by March 31^st.  The forms remain in effect for at least two calendar years.

APPLIES TO All Employers with 1+ IL Employee

EFFECTIVE July 1, 2020

QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call (888) 378-2456

Illinois has had a statewide paid sick leave ordinance in place since July 1, 2017, which has since been amended multiple times.  The Chicago City Council recently approved Substitute Ordinance 2020-2343, which contains anti-retaliation provisions related to COVID-19 and also revises amendments previously enacted in December 2019.  The Substitute Ordinance broadens the applicability of Chicago’s paid sick leave provisions to more classes of employees, thereby expanding employer responsibilities.

Under the original ordinance and the December 2019 amendments, certain types of employees were not covered by the paid sick leave ordinance.  This includes:

1. Outside salespeople;
2. Members of a religious corporation or organization;
3. Students attending or employed by an accredited Illinois college or university; and
4. Motor carriers regulated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation or the State of Illinois.

Substitute Ordinance 2020-2343 now covers these employees under the paid sick leave ordinance, meaning they must be provided applicable paid sick leave and given notice of their rights alongside the first paycheck subject to the paid sick leave ordinance.

Action Items

APPLIES TO All Employers with MD Employees

EFFECTIVE October 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted below

QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call (888) 378-2456

Maryland’s summer legislative updates include important changes to employer responsibilities in the wage transparency and paid sick leave domains, as well as amended requirements for state-level WARN Act requirements.  A brief summary of these updates are listed below.

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APPLIES TO All Employers with RI Employees

EFFECTIVE May 29, 2020

QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call (888) 378-2456

Rhode Island’s drug testing law allows employers to have employees undergo drug testing when the employer has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the employee may be under the influence of a controlled substance impairing their ability to perform their job.  In a recent case, the Rhode Island Supreme Court affirmed that the “reasonable grounds” standard can apply even where there is another possible explanation for an employee’s impaired behavior.

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APPLIES TO Varies

EFFECTIVE Varies

QUESTIONS? Contact HR On-Call (888) 378-2456

1. OSHA Publishes Guidelines on Face Coverings, Masks and Respirators in the Workplace
2. Work Opportunity Tax Credit Can Be Used to Hire Underrepresented Workers
3. NLRB Allows Prohibition of Cell Phones in the Workplace For Legitimate Business Reasons
4. California: Remaining Provisions of State Sanctuary Law Stands
5. California: Lighting Requirements for Outdoor Agriculture in Effect
6. Long Beach, CA: City Issues Mandatory Worker Retention and Recall Orders
7. Colorado: Hairstyle Discrimination Prohibited
8. Illinois: New Amendments to School Activities Leave
9. Indiana: Microchip Implantation Restriction
10. Minneapolis, MN: Paid Sick Leave Approved by Court
11. New Jersey: Mandatory Posting for Employee Misclassification Now Available
12. Bernalillo County, NY: Wellness Act and PTO Provisions Extended to Oct 1, 2020
13. Suffolk County, NY: Ban the Box Legislation Goes into Effect August 2020
14. South Dakota: Discrimination Against Interns Prohibited
15. Texas: Local Paid Sick Leave Ordinances Still in Limbo

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