A number of significant employment law changes have been approved so far this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, which switched from Republican to Democratic control at the beginning of the year. The most significant factor preventing these measures from becoming law is a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, where there is no inclination to consider them.
In a preview of how that could change if the political dynamic shifts, it is instructive to look at New York State, where Democrats took control of the State Senate at the beginning of 2019, and with that assumed total control of the State Legislature (Senate and Assembly).
With the ability to control the legislative agenda and the votes to pass their priorities, Democrats have approved and the Democratic governor has signed into law numerous progressive bills in 2019 covering important workplace topics such as equal pay, salary history inquiries, harassment, discrimination, and treatment of immigrant employees.
Responding to these developments, NT Lakis attorneys have summarized the most important of the workplace bills enacted in New York since the year began.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.