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On April 17, 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed the Medical Marijuana Act (MMA), which legalizes medicinal marijuana in Pennsylvania. The MMA, which takes effect on May 17, 2016, includes various provisions related to employment, and we have received many questions regarding what employers must, can and cannot do as a result of the new…

There has been a lot of buzz recently about “ban the box” initiatives prohibiting employers from asking job applicants about their criminal records.  Proponents of these initiatives argue that employers should not consider an applicant’s old or minor criminal record to deny job opportunities.  On February 16, 2016, Pennsylvania took a different approach to this…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently re-affirmed the principle that in order to have an enforceable non-compete agreement in Pennsylvania, the agreement must be supported by adequate consideration and that a statement merely agreeing to be “legally bound” doesn’t meet that requirement. The Court ruled against a waterproofing company hoping to enforce a non-compete agreement against…

The City of Pittsburgh recently became the second city in Pennsylvania to enact a paid sick leave law, with Mayor William Peduto signing the Paid Sick Days Act into law on August 13, 2015.  While the Act is facing legal challenges, Pittsburgh’s City Controller recently posted notice  that the Act is effective January 11, 2016. …

English-only rules are not as common as they once were, but many employers still require employees to speak English only in the workplace.  Justifications for these rules vary, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has long given such requirements a wary eye.  The National Labor Relations Board has now weighed in on the legality of…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all employers covered by the OSH Act provide employees with sanitary toilet facilities so that employees will not suffer adverse health effects if toilets are not available when employees need them. According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, an estimated 700,000 adults in the United States are transgender. In some workplaces, transgender employees have been unable to utilize the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity.
Continue Reading What You Need to Know About Accommodating Transgender Employees