IO-2 - Employment Law 2023: Changes Independent Owners Must Take to Stay Compliant

There have been big changes in federal and state employment law in the past year. From the Supreme Court’s recent decision to raise the bar for denying religious accommodation requests to the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and impactful new decisions by the National Labor Relations Board requiring changes to confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses in separation agreements and to handbook policies that may infringe on workers’ rights, there have been significant changes to federal employment law in the past year. Courts and agencies have provided us with new guidance on how to determine whether a worker is exempt from overtime and when targeted recruitment of younger workers will result in age discrimination claims. In addition, states have been enacting laws requiring employers to provide pay transparency and paid family leave, restricting employers from infringing on employee’s marijuana use and the use of non-compete agreements, and lowering the standard for what constitutes harassment.