Dear %%FirstName%% %%LastName%%:

Here’s what’s new this week on HR.BLR.com^®:

Recent/Upcoming Compliance Dates

• March 4, 2019: Westchester County, New York prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history on an employment application.
• March 17, 2019: New York City employers with four or more employees are required to provide reasonable break time for lactating employees to express breast milk in the workplace for up to 3 years following the birth of a child. Covered employers are also required to provide lactating employees with a sanitary lactation room. Employers with four or more employees are required to draft and distribute a written policy regarding the provision of a lactation room and the procedures required to request access to this accommodation. A model policy will be made available by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
• March 29, 2019: Michigan’s Paid Medical Leave Act, a significantly revised version of the previously adopted Earned Sick Time Act, goes into effect. The revised law now applies only to employers with 50 or more employees. It further limits employers’ leave responsibilities in several ways, including excepting certain employees (including exempt workers, those who work primarily outside the state of Michigan, and those working an average of fewer than 25 hours per week) from eligibility.
• April 10, 2019: Westchester County, New York’s Earned Sick Leave Law goes into effect and requires covered employers to provide sick leave. Whether the law is paid or unpaid depends on the size of the employer. Employers with 5 or more employees must provide paid leave. Smaller employers may provide leave on an unpaid basis.
• May 20, 2019: Employers in New York City are prohibited from discrimination based on an individual’s sexual or reproductive health decisions.

Be sure to check HR.BLR.com’s training section for all the latest training materials.