Getting Familiar With 2018 Employment Laws

Employment Law

2018 is here! New and expanded employment laws have come into play. It’s important to have your HR teams up to date so they know how to comply. Below are a few of the major laws that may be affecting your business.

Small Business Parental/New Parent Leave

Applicable to companies with 20-49 employees, this law states that eligible employees can take 12 weeks of bonding leave for a child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. Leave must be taken within the first 12 months of birth or placement. To be eligible, employees will need to have worked more than 12 months or 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months.

Harassment Prevention

Harassment prevention training is now required for employers with 50+ employees. Workplace harassment must be discussed in addition to practical examples of harassment based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.

Prohibitions on Salary History

Focused on wage parity, salary and benefits history can no longer be asked. Additionally, employers must provide an applicant the pay scale of the position, upon reasonable request. If you need assistance with pay scales, ask for a copy of Star Staffing’s PayBook to help determine the proper range for your opening.

Ban the Box on Criminal Convictions and Background Checks

It is now unlawful to inquire or consider history of a conviction prior to extending an offer of employment. Post-offer, should an employer wish to reject an applicant due to a conviction, certain steps must be taken. Individualized assessments determining if duties of the job have a relationship with conviction history must be proved along with written notification and opportunity for applicant response.

In case you are searching for Employment Lawyers, you can check this company’s website. Majarian Law Group serves individuals in broad legal practice areas, including employment class actions and wrongful termination.

Minimum Wage

If you don’t have a copy of the California minimum wage increase scale, it’s available on GovDocs.
This year the minimum wage is up to $11.00 per hour; $10.50 for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Additionally, exempt employees must have a salary of $45,760; $43,680 for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Your budget this year and in years to come should take this into consideration.

Make sure to have a firm handle on these and the rest of the new laws this year and request any further training or resources as needed. If you have any questions about how this effects your relationship with Star Staffing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We wish you much success in 2018!