STATE AND LOCAL UPDATE

Anyone who has worked for or with a multi-state employer knows that one of the most difficult aspects of absence management is keeping up with changes in state and local laws.  This posting is an effort to provide some of the more recent information about changes in state and local leave laws.

Guidance for Employers to Plan for the Flu Season

On August 19, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance that recommends actions that non-healthcare employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity during the 2009–2010 flu season. 

Domestic Violence Leave Laws Growing Trend Nationally

Philadelphia has joined a growing list of jurisdictions that require leave related to domestic violence. A few states, including California, Florida, Illinois and Washington, require unpaid leave for services related to domestic violence.  Sick leave ordinances in Milwaukee and the District of Columbia require paid leave related to domestic violence as well as other reasons.  A temporary injunction has delayed the effective date of Milwaukee’s rule.

Paid Sick Leave Growing in States, Municipalities

Congress is not the only source of expensive legislative reform for American employers to monitor. The movement to mandate paid sick leave has grown largely outside of Capitol Hill. On election day this month, Milwaukee, Wisconsin became the third city in the country to require employers within the city to provide sick leave to employees. San Francisco was the first and Washington, DC the second.