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This month brings key legal changes for employers across several states — including new minimum wage rates for California health care workers, pay transparency requirements in New Jersey, and updates to fair chance hiring in Washington. Plus, a court ruling on meal period waivers, Missouri’s repeal of paid sick leave, and a reminder about the EEO-1 reporting deadline.
Here’s a quick look at what’s changing.
State and Local Updates
Alaska
Alaska: Effective June 1, 2025 Employers are Required to Provide Employees Written Notice of Paid Sick Leave Rights
California
California Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Increases to $18.63-$24.00
Effective June 1, 2025, covered health care facilities in California must pay covered health care employees a minimum wage according to the following projected schedule, based on SB 525:
– Large Health Systems and Dialysis Clinics – $24.00
– Hospitals with high Medi-Cal patient percentages and rural facilities – $18.00
– Clinics and Other Health Care Facilities – $21.00
Note: These rates reflect projections based on a 3.5% increase and may be adjusted. Implementation of the law officially began on October 16, 2024, with annual increases scheduled through 2033 depending on facility type.
+Cal Lab Code § 1182.14, as added by +2023 Bill Text CA S.B. 525.
California Court Holds That Prospective Meal Period Waivers Are Enforceable
A California Court of Appeal just handed employers a wage and hour win by ruling that meal period waivers prospectively signed by nonexempt employees are enforceable if certain criteria are met. The April 21 decision in Bradsbery v. Vicar Operating Inc. provides employers with a solid game plan to approach meal period waivers at their workplaces. Below is a quick review of the case and four steps you should consider to take advantage of this positive decision and get the most out of your meal period waivers.
Read More Here.
New Jersey
New Jersey Pay Transparency Law Takes Effect
Effective June 1, 2025, New Jersey employers with 10 or more employees must include a salary range and general description of benefits and other compensation in any job posting, including internal opportunities for transfer or promotion. Covered employers are also required to notify current employees about promotional opportunities before making promotion decisions.
+2024 Bill Text NJ S.B. 2310.
New York
New York: Effective date June 1, 2025, Employers with Warehouse Workers Required to Implement an Injury Reduction Program and Provide Safety Training
New York: Effective date June 2, 2025, Retail Employers Must Adopt a Workplace Violence Prevention Policy and Provide Training
Washington
Washington’s Amended Fair Chance Act Will Impose New Obligations
Washington state has an existing fair chance law, but the statute, as amended by House Bill 1747, will impose additional obligations on employers that consider criminal records when vetting job applicants or employees. The amended statute takes effect for most employers in July 2026, so employers should plan to update their criminal record screening policies and standard forms of notice.
Read More Here.
Missouri
Missouri Lawmakers Vote to Repeal Paid Sick Leave: What Employers Need to Know
Just weeks after a new earned sick leave law took effect, Missouri lawmakers voted yesterday to repeal it – upending compliance plans and raising fresh questions for employers across the state. The state senate repeal measure that overturns a 2024 voter referendum passed largely along party lines on Wednesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk, where it is expected to be approved in the near future. It also will scrap the planned cost-of-living increases to the new state minimum wage, which will rise to $15 on January 1, 2026. Read on to understand what’s happening, how you should respond, and what could come next.
Read More Here.
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EEO-1 Reporting Portal is Open: 5 Quick Tips for Employers
The EEO-1 reporting portal just opened yesterday and the turn-around time is quick: this year employers only have until June 24 to submit their data. Private employers with at least 100 employees and federal contractors with at least 50 employees need to begin sorting data by employee job category, as well as sex and race/ethnicity, to turn over to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) during the reporting window. Here’s what you need to know about filing your 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data this year and the five steps you’ll want to take right away to file on time.
Read More Here.
