New Employment Laws in 2018

January is the time of year when new employment laws often begin to take effect. We’ve compiled several important changes to labor laws in the United States that you should know about. Continue reading for more information about minimum wage increases, changes to sick leave laws and several other important updates.

Increases to Minimum Wage
Over a dozen states are increasing their minimum wage this year. Most of the changes take effect January 1, 2018, but there are a few that take effect later in the year. Refer to the Minimum Wage Laws on our website and the Department of Labor website for up-to-date information. Statewide minimum wage changes by date:

• December 31, 2017: New York
• January 1, 2018: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
• June 1, 2018: Virgin Islands
• July 1, 2018: D.C., Oregon and Maryland

Changes to Sick Leave Laws
On January 1, 2018 Washington became the 7th state to require employers offer paid sick leave. The law took effect in Washington on January 1, 2018. There are currently 6 other states that require employers offer paid sick leave and they are: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Rhode Island will be the 8th state with their sick leave law taking effect July 1, 2018.

Salary Threshold Update 
The Final Overtime Rule has caused a lot of confusion for employers since it was blocked by a Texas Judge in November 2016. Many employers were preparing for the law to take effect and were caught off guard by the sudden announcement.

Since the rule was blocked, the Department of Labor has appealed the decision and announced in October 2017 that they plan on determining what the salary level should be. We recommend you stay up to date and follow developments of this law.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)
There has been a lot of uncertainty recently regarding President Trump's plan for group health insurance. The U.S. Health and Health Sciences website is an excellent resource to keep you informed on changes that may affect your business

Stay Compliant with Virtual TimeClock
Our Virtual TimeClock employee time and attendance software can help you comply with labor law changes and requirements to track employee leave. For example, you can track sick leave hours accrued and used with the leave tracking feature.

Staying up to date on labor laws for your employees is important. For additional information, please see to our free employer resources and consult your legal, labor and accounting representatives.