Labor Laws for August 2024

INFINITI HR is happy to provide Monthly State Labor Law Updates as a service to our subscribers. These briefs provide a general description and are not meant to be all-inclusive of compliance requirements. This list is not inclusive of all legislative changes for employers across the U.S. Changes may have been addressed in previous updates, which can be accessed from our blog.

Employers are encouraged to work with their Inspiring HR Consultant before making policy changes to capture the full requirements of these laws.

New Hampshire

Hairstyle Discrimination Protections – Effective September 1, 2024

Starting September 1, 2024, NH employers will be prohibited from discriminating against applicants and employees based on their protective hairstyle. Protected hairstyle is defined as an individual’s hair type or style, including braids, locs, tights, coils, or curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, Afros, twists, and head wraps.

Deceased Employee Wage Payments – Effective September 10, 2024

Beginning September 10, 2024, the maximum amount of a deceased employee’s wages that employers are permitted to pay directly to surviving family members will increase. The maximum amount will increase from $300 to $3,000. 

Guns in the Workplace – Effective January 1, 2025

As of January 1, 2025, all NH employers will be subject to new limitations regarding the storage of firearms in an employee’s personal vehicles while at work. Employers are prohibited from:

• requiring employees to disclose if they are storing a firearm and/or ammunition in their personal vehicle; and
• searching an employee’s personal vehicle for a firearm and/or ammunition.

OREGON

Minimum Wage Increase & Non-Compete Wage Threshold – Effective July 1, 2024

Effective July 1, 2024, the OR minimum wage rates and the non-compete compensation minimum are increasing. Employers are required to display an updated minimum wage poster in their workplace.

The minimum wage rates will increase as follows:

• $14.70 Standard
• $15.95 Portland Metro
• $13.70 Non-Urban

The non-compete wage threshold increases to $113,241 per year. Employers who utilize non-compete agreements must ensure employees subject to these agreements are meeting or exceeding the minimum salary. Please keep in mind that a national ban on non-competes is scheduled to become effective on September 5, 2024.

Changes to Paid and Unpaid Leave – Effective July 1, 2024

To eliminate redundancies between Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) and the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA), effective July 1, 2024, family leave and serious health condition leave will be solely covered under Paid Leave Oregon.

• OFLA no longer covers parental leave and serious health conditions.
• OFLA will now only offer a total of four weeks of bereavement leave rather than 12 weeks.
• Sick child leave under OFLA will be expanded to allow employees to take leave to care for a sick child regardless of whether the child has a serious health condition.
• Employees must be permitted to use any accrued paid benefits (paid vacation, paid sick) concurrently with PLO, not to exceed the employee’s regular full wage during the period of leave.
• Leave under PLO and OFLA can no longer be taken concurrently. However, leave under OFLA and PLO must still be taken concurrently with federal FMLA for covered employers.

Interested in other current employment trends? Click the link to view the recent blog: Hiring Interns and Seasonal Employees: A Guide for Small Businesses or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance, and benefits.

This article does not constitute legal advice, and there are subtle variations in employment law as it pertains to these topics, depending on where your business operates. It is strongly suggested that you seek consultation or legal counsel before making decisions about policies.