2018 Employment Law Legal Updates

Supreme Court: Employers Can Require Individualized Arbitration of Employment Disputes

May 21, 2018. The decision means employers can stop employees from combining cases in situations like wage disputes.

California Supreme Court Issues New, More Restrictive Independent Contractor Test

April 30, 2018. California employers will have a harder time proving that workers are properly classified as independent contractors.

Federal Appeals Court Holds That Prior Salary Is Not a Justification for Unequal Pay

April 9, 2018. The Ninth Circuit Rules That Prior Salary is Not a Valid Reason for Paying Men and Women Differently for Equal Work.

Changes to Federal Law on Tip Pooling

March 22, 2018. Back-of-house employees may now share in tip pools under federal law.

2018 Increases to HSA and FSA Contributions

January 1, 2018. IRS announces increases to health FSA and HSA maximum contributions for 2018.

Obamacare Pay or Play Penalties Increase for 2018

January 1, 2018. IRS announces increases to penalties for employers that don’t provide health insurance.

Department of Labor Relaxes Rules for Unpaid Internships

January 2018. Employers will have an easier time establishing that an unpaid internship is legal.

California Passes Ban on Asking Employees About Salary History

January 1, 2018. Employers in California can no longer ask applicants about their pay.

New York Passes Nation’s First Comprehensive Paid Family Leave Law

January 1, 2018. New York is the first state to provide full pay to employees who take family leave.

California Expands Job-Protected Leave for New Parents

January 1, 2018. Over two million employees will now have access to job-protected leave.

California Passes Comprehensive Ban-the- Box Law

January 1, 2018. A new law will limit a California employer’s ability to ask applicants about criminal history.