Wage disclosure laws designed to promote pay equity are on the rise in the U.S. Approximately fourteen states and localities, including California, Colorado, New York City, and Washington State, have passed laws with varying requirements relating to the disclosure of anticipated compensation for posted positions.

Remote and hybrid work arrangements are now a fixture in the U.S. workplace. Creating a great remote workplace, however, can be a tall order. How does an employer build a cohesive-feeling corporate culture when employees are spread out around the country and often only see each other on computer screens? What are best practices for monitoring remote employees and ensuring that they are doing their best work? How do employers ensure that they remain compliant with the state and local laws where employees are now living and working?

Effective October 1, 2022, Washington, District of Columbia (D.C.) employers will face substantial restrictions on the use of non-compete agreements and policies. Below is a summary of legislative action to date, as well as a review of the law’s key provisions.

As anticipated, on March 3, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (“the Act”). As we discussed in a recent blog post, the Act limits the enforceability of U.S. employers’ mandatory arbitration agreements which require that all employment-related claims be arbitrated, rather than litigated.  Under the new law, employees may now opt to pursue their sexual assault or sexual harassment claims in court even if they signed an arbitration agreement with their employer that waived their right to do so. 

On February 10, 2022, Congress passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which amends the Federal Arbitration Act by prohibiting employers from forcing employees to arbitrate sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints. President Biden is expected to sign the Act into law. Once signed, the Act will be effective immediately. The Act represents a significant change from the overall trend in workplace law allowing employers to require employees to arbitrate workplace disputes.

A recent District of Columbia (D.C.) law offers employees of private employers in D.C. paid time off for COVID-19 vaccination-related leave, and provides unpaid COVID-19-related leave to eligible employees of employers with 20 or more employees in D.C. The COVID Vaccination Leave Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (the Act) amends two existing leave laws: the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 (ASSLA) and the D.C. Family and Medical Leave Act (DCFMLA). Although the Act is currently in effect only until February 18, 2021, the D.C. Council will likely extend it.