XpertHR Breaks Down More than 40 New Employment Laws

Minimum wage, employee leave and marijuana conduct are among the latest state and local regulations

NEW YORK, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The midpoint of the year has arrived, and that means new employment laws are rolling out throughout the United States. More than 40 new regulations, amendments and legal provisions took effect July 1. XpertHR breaks down the changes, most of which apply to state and local minimum wage, employee leave and marijuana laws.

Click here for a full XpertHR overview of new federal, state and local employment law requirements.

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The mid-year updates take on greater significance in light of a pandemic-fueled increase in remote work. HR teams are being challenged to comply with additional employment laws in the jurisdictions where their remote employees are located—not just where the company is headquartered.

According to Melissa Silver, senior legal editor of policy solutions for XpertHR, "It's vital that HR stays up to date with every new law that takes effect. Mid-year is the perfect time for companies to ensure their practices don't put them at financial, legal or employee engagement risk."

She continued, "As perfunctory as it may sound, the best way to address compliance is through a current employee handbook."

A recent XpertHR survey found that 51% of respondents update their employee handbooks on an "as needed" basis, as opposed to a more regular cadence. Silver noted that between hiring, updating safety protocols and supporting their workplaces, they are short on the time it takes to maintain the handbook.

She pointed to Aptifore—an AI-enabled technology solution XpertHR rolled out to customers in July—as helping to bridge the gap. Aptifore combines an extensive, current database of federal, state and local employment laws with a selection of multi-jurisdictional policies. It also allows customers to build custom handbooks, while personalized "push notification" alerts support ongoing compliance as legislation changes.

Employers can stay abreast of all 40+ employment law updates, as well as upcoming regulations and developments, using the XpertHR Legal Timetable, available here.

Quick Takes: 40+ New Employment Law Requirements

Minimum wage. Minimum wage increases rolled out in more than 20 jurisdictions in the U.S., including statewide increases in Connecticut, Nevada and Oregon. All the rate changes can be found in this Minimum Wage Rates by State and Municipality 50-State Chart.

Employee leave. States and localities alike continue to expand employee leave benefits that provide earned sick and safe leave for employees to use in the event of an illness, family emergency or domestic abuse. This Leave Laws by State and Municipality 50-State Chart provides an overview of these and other leave requirements at the federal, state and local levels.

Marijuana laws. Amendments that define the types of conduct employers may prohibit related to medical cannabis and/or legalized recreational use have also been expanded.

Note to Editors: 
Melissa Silver, senior legal editor of policy solutions, XpertHR, is available for bylined articles and interviews upon request. 

About XpertHR: 
XpertHR has been providing HR solutions since 2002, empowering organizations across the globe to build successful workforces and create a purposeful workplace for all. The platform delivers expert insight, trusted resources, data analysis and practical tools to help achieve greater efficiency, reduce risk and increase employee engagement. XpertHR is developing smarter data analysis tools and cutting-edge technology to support future demands on HR in an increasingly digital world. To learn more, visit xperthr.com. 

SOURCE XpertHR