California Overtime Pay Regulations
California has the strictest overtime rules in the US. You must be paid 'time and a half' for any work over 8 hours in a single day, and 'double time' for anything over 12 hours.
Employment & Labor
Laws filed under this category in plain English.
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Paid Family Leave Rights in New York
New York workers have a right to up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave to bond with a child or care for a sick family member.
Texas 'Right to Work' Laws
Texas is a 'Right to Work' state. This means you cannot be forced to join a labor union or pay union dues as a condition of getting or keeping a job.
The 'Freelance Isn't Free' Act in New York
New York protects freelance workers and independent contractors by requiring written contracts for work over $800 and mandating that clients pay them on time.
New York Pay Transparency Law
Employers in New York with 4 or more employees are legally required to include the minimum and maximum salary or hourly wage in any job advertisement.
California Independent Contractor Law (AB 5)
California's AB 5 law uses the strict 'ABC Test' to determine if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. It is very difficult for a California company to classify a worker as a contractor.
Ohio At-Will Employment & Exceptions
Ohio is an 'at-will' employment state. This means an employer can fire you at any time, for any reason, with no notice. However, there are significant legal exceptions.
New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD)
The NJ LAD is one of the strongest anti-discrimination laws in the country, protecting employees and tenants from discrimination and harassment based on a wide variety of protected classes.
Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML)
Massachusetts provides most workers with paid time off for medical or family reasons, funded through a state tax. Your job is legally protected while you are on leave.
Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act
Colorado requires employers to disclose hourly/salary rates and benefits on all job postings and strictly prohibits paying employees of different sexes differently for substantially similar work.
Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave
Starting in 2026, Minnesota workers will have access to a state-run program providing up to 20 weeks of paid time off for major medical or family events.
Wisconsin Right to Work Law
Wisconsin is a 'Right to Work' state, meaning private-sector employees cannot be forced to join a labor union or pay union dues to keep their jobs.
Rhode Island Minimum Wage Laws
Rhode Island has passed legislation to steadily increase its minimum wage, reaching $15.00 per hour on January 1, 2025.
Maryland Time to Care Act
The Time to Care Act establishes a state-run paid family and medical leave insurance program in Maryland, offering up to 24 weeks of paid leave under specific circumstances (benefits start in 2026).
New Mexico Healthy Workplaces Act
New Mexico law guarantees almost all private-sector employees the right to earn and use paid sick leave, regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time, or seasonal.
Washington D.C. Paid Family Leave
D.C. has one of the most generous paid leave programs in the country, offering up to 12 weeks of paid time off to bond with a new child or care for a family member.
Rhode Island TDI & TCI (Paid Leave)
Rhode Island was the first state to guarantee paid leave. Workers pay a small tax to fund up to 30 weeks of disability leave (TDI) or 6 weeks of caregiver leave (TCI).
Connecticut Paid Family & Medical Leave
Connecticut offers up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family and medical reasons, with broad definitions of 'family' that include 'chosen family' (those you have a close, family-like bond with).
California Prop 22 (Gig Worker Exemption)
Prop 22 is a voter-approved law that allows app-based rideshare and delivery companies (like Uber and DoorDash) to legally classify their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.
Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
Washington State operates a mandatory, state-run insurance program that guarantees most workers up to 12 weeks of paid time off for serious health or family events.
California Fast Food Minimum Wage Law
Starting in April 2024, California law specifically mandates a separate, significantly higher minimum wage exclusively for fast-food workers at large national chains.
New York Wage Theft Prevention Act
New York heavily penalizes employers who steal wages or fail to provide transparent pay documentation. The law mandates strict written notice requirements for all new hires.
Texas E-Verify Law (SB 3)
Texas law requires all state agencies, public universities, and private businesses that receive government contracts to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of all new employees.
Louisiana Right to Work Law
Louisiana is a 'Right to Work' state. This law ensures that an employee cannot be compelled to join a labor union or pay union dues in order to secure or retain employment.
Idaho Right to Work Law
Idaho law prohibits employers from requiring employees to join a labor union or pay union dues as a condition of getting or keeping a job.
California Salary History Ban
To help close the gender wage gap, California law makes it illegal for employers to ask job applicants about how much money they made at their previous jobs.
Oregon Paid Family & Medical Leave
Paid Leave Oregon allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family, medical, or 'safe' leave, funded by a small payroll tax.
Illinois Workers' Rights Amendment
In 2022, Illinois voters enshrined the fundamental right to unionize and bargain collectively directly into the State Constitution, explicitly banning any future 'Right to Work' laws in the state.
Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law
Massachusetts requires employers to provide their workers with earned sick time. If a company has 11 or more employees, this sick time MUST be paid.
New York Paid Family Leave (PFL)
New York provides one of the nation's most comprehensive paid family leave programs, giving workers up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected time off for major family events.
Illinois Equal Pay Act
Illinois law strictly forbids employers from paying men and women, or African American and non-African American employees, different wages for doing the same job.
New Jersey Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act
New Jersey possesses one of the most aggressive equal pay laws in the country, prohibiting unequal pay for 'substantially similar' work across ALL protected classes, not just gender.
Colorado FAMLI Act (Paid Leave)
Voted in by citizens in 2020, the FAMLI program guarantees most Colorado workers up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected time off for major life events.
Georgia Right to Work Law
Georgia has been a 'Right to Work' state since 1947. This law guarantees that no person can be forced to join a labor union or pay union dues to get or keep a job.
Michigan Right to Work Repeal
In a historic and rare move, Michigan officially repealed its 'Right to Work' law in 2023, giving immense power back to labor unions in the state.
Hawaii Minimum Wage Increases
Hawaii passed a law that steadily increases the state minimum wage every two years, eventually reaching $18.00 per hour by 2028.
New York HERO Act (Airborne Diseases)
Passed in response to COVID-19, the NY Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act forces employers to adopt strict safety plans to protect workers from airborne infectious diseases.
Florida E-Verify & Immigration Law (SB 1718)
One of the toughest immigration laws in the country, SB 1718 forces private businesses to use the federal E-Verify system and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants.
Oregon Paid Sick Leave Law
Oregon requires all employers to provide sick leave. Whether it is paid or unpaid depends solely on the number of employees the company has and its location.
Nevada 'Right to Return' Law (Hospitality)
Passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, this law guarantees that casino and hospitality workers who were laid off for economic reasons have the 'right to return' to their old jobs before the company hires someone new.
New Jersey 'Freelance Isn't Free' Act
Modeled after similar laws in NY and IL, this law protects freelance workers and independent contractors in New Jersey by ensuring they get paid on time and have written contracts.
Massachusetts Non-Compete Law
Massachusetts strictly limits the use of 'non-compete' agreements, banning them entirely for certain workers and requiring employers to pay 'garden leave' if they want to enforce them.
New York 'Freelance Isn't Free' Act
Originally a NYC law, this protection was expanded statewide to ensure freelancers and independent contractors receive written contracts and timely payments.
California Paid Family Leave (PFL)
California was the first state to implement Paid Family Leave. It provides up to 8 weeks of partial wage replacement for workers taking time off to bond with a child or care for a seriously ill family member.
Washington Paid Sick Leave Law
Washington State requires nearly all employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees, including part-time and seasonal workers.
Arkansas Right to Work Law
Arkansas enshrined its 'Right to Work' status directly into the state constitution back in 1944. It is illegal to force any worker to join a union to keep their job.