Labor Law Updates

In the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the controversial issue of weapons in the workplace is once again a hotly debated topic. If you’re a business owner without a clearly defined weapon-free workplace policy, you might find yourself dealing with employees who feel the need to carry a gun for protection while on the job.

When Donald Trump became President, he and the new Republican administration promised a decrease — or even rollback — of federal employment laws and regulations. But has federal deregulation eased the compliance burden? Surprisingly, the answer is no. When federal activity slows, states and cities step in to fill the gaps.

Businesses everywhere struggle to maintain labor law posting compliance. Labor law postings are mandated by both federal and state governments with some states requiring up to 20 posters. It’s not something business owners can just display and forget; postings change regularly. 

Labor law posting fines have increased again and can add up to as much as $34,000 per violation. Most businesses will agree that with labor laws continually changing, monitoring and maintaining posting compliance is a challenging task.

Labor law issues continued to make news in 2017, as state and local governments adopted new legislation at a frenzied pace. The new laws resulted in an array of posting changes, with an emphasis on minimum wage and paid sick leave.