Recent news
Latest items of recent news relevant to the United States as reported in our fortnightly newswire ‘Dernières nouvelles’.
USA: M-POWER initiative
The US Department of Labor, US Agency for International Development and US Department of State have allocated more than $120 million for the trade union “M-power” initiative …
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USA: New California law allows employers to email workplace notifications to remote workers
With effect from 1st January 2022, California employers may send statutory notices to employees by email …
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USA: Biden unveils updated strategy to end HIV epidemic by 2030
President Biden’s national policy on AIDS seeks to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 …
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USA: Unvaccinated Nevada state workers to pay insurance surcharge
Nevada is the first State to announce a surcharge to health insurance plans if an employee is not vaccinated against COVID-19 …
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USA: US-Japan partnership on trade
A new “US-Japan Partnership on Trade” has been agreed, that includes “labor-related and environment-related priorities” …
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USA: Starbucks to raise wages to average $17-hour by Summer 2022
The coffee giant, Starbucks, is raising basic pay rates in January 2022 …
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USA: John Deere workers end historic month-long strike with new union contract
John Deere Strike is finally over …
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USA: West Hollywood approves $17.64 minimum wage
The city of West Hollywood in California has now raised the minimum wage to the highest in the USA …
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USA: District of Columbia adopts paid vaccine leave requirements
The Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act in Washington DC has been amended to give paid time off for COVID-19 vaccination and recovery …
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USA: Starbucks worker may have exposed thousands of customers to Hepatitis A
A fresh health alert has been registered in New Jersey for a highly infectious disease – Hepatitis A …
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USA: Colorado issues new rules governing employee compensation for 2022
The State of Colorado is introducing a number of changes to minimum pay, labor compensation and wage protection on 1st January 2022 …
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USA: How does law and practice differ between the USA and Europe in respect to rest breaks?
The US Federal Code of Regulations does not oblige employers to give short breaks of 5-20 minutes during the day, but where they are given specifies that they must be paid (785.18). However, meal breaks – “ordinarily” of 30 minutes duration – need not be paid (785.19). In certain States, the rules are even clearer. For instance, in 2020, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that a 30-minute break after 6 hours work was mandatory and, if not taken, subject to pay in lieu of its absence. In the European Union/EEA, Article 4 of the Working Time Directive obliges employers to give “short breaks” after 6 hours work, but it does not dictate their duration – leaving that to national legislation or collective agreements. All countries recognise the 6 hour qualifying threshold (apart from Norway and the Netherlands where it is 5.5 hours) and none require it to be paid. The break given is 10 minutes in Italy, 15 minutes in Spain and 30 minutes in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany and the Irish Republic and one hour in Finland. However, in the Irish Republic, it also amounts to 15 minutes after 4.5 hours and in Germany to 30 minutes after 4.5 hours for workers under 18. In post-Brexit Britain, the break remains at 20 minutes.
USA: New York Paid Family Leave Law amended to allow leave to care for siblings
Senate Bill 2928 has now added siblings to the list of relationships for which an employee may take leave under the New York Paid Family Leave (NY PFL) program …
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USA: Epic Games ends every-other-Friday-off policy
The practice of Epic Games to give employees every other Friday off is being discontinued …
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USA: Macy’s raises its minimum wage to $15 an hour
The minimum wage has now been raised to $15 an hour in all Macy’s department stores and distribution centres …
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