Proposed Maryland Legislation Would Eliminate Non-Compete Obligations For The Unemployed!

It may not be as ominous as the Fiscal Cliff, but Maryland employers should take heed: there is legislation proposed for the upcoming General Assembly session that would render inapplicable a valid non-competition agreement between an individual and his or her prior employer under certain circumstances.  Senate Bill 51, which would amend the Labor and Employment Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, provides that if any individual applies for and...
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Unions Make America "Stronger" - Really?

Kollman & Saucier
Kollman & Saucier
12/12/2012
On Monday, President Obama told a Michigan audience that he opposes right to work laws because "unions have helped build not just a stronger  middle class but a stronger America."  If the gentlemen shown in this video from yesterday's protests at the Michigan state house are representative of union membership, we don't need this kind of "stronger America" - unless we are in need of casting for a remake of Rocky...
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Paid Sick Leave for Maryland’s Private Sector Employees Could Be Proposed in 2013

Now that flu season is upon us, employers can expect the usual uptick in employees calling out sick.  And in Maryland, while most larger employers offer paid  sick leave, many small businesses do not.  According to the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, forty percent of Maryland’s private sector workers, or nearly 820,000 employees, do not receive time off with pay for being sick. However, Maryland might soon require all employers to offer...
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Four More Years: What Does Obama's Reelection Mean for Employers?

With the results of the Presidential election now in, its time to answer a question I’ve heard from a number of clients today: what does President Obama’s reelection mean for employers?  The short answer: you can expect to see a lot of blog posts from us about aggressive enforcement initiatives by the NLRB, DOL, EEOC, and other enforcement agencies.  In this post, I’ll give you a high level overview of what I think we are going to see. NLRB:...
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New York Expands Scope of Permissible Employer Deductions from Wages

For almost 50 years, New York has had one of the most restrictive state laws on deductions from wages.  Under Labor Law Section 193, wage deductions were permissible only when required by law or limited to “payments for insurance premiums, pension or health or welfare benefits, contributions to charitable organizations, payments for United States bonds, payments for dues or assessments to a labor organization, and similar payments for the benefit...
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New York Law Prohibits Disclosure of Employee Social Security Numbers

Kollman & Saucier
Kollman & Saucier
08/22/2012
A new law in New York State makes it illegal to require a person to disclose his or her social security number for any purpose.  The new law, which goes into effect on December 12, 2012, adds a new Section 399-ddd to the state’s General Business Law. Significantly, the prohibition on disclosure extends to “any number derived from” a person’s social security number. As a result, employers cannot require employees to disclose the last four...
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“Unemployed” is the New Protected Status, at Least in D.C.

Kollman & Saucier
Kollman & Saucier
07/06/2012
The District of Columbia has enacted novel legislation, protecting unemployed individuals from discrimination in the hiring process. The new law prohibits employers and employment agencies from discriminating against potential employees based on their “unemployed” status. This law is the first of its kind to both prohibit employers from considering the employment status of potential employees and provide whistleblower protections for current...
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Maryland Expands Employee Rights In Connection with Jury Service

Kollman & Saucier
Kollman & Saucier
07/06/2012
Maryland employers are not permitted to require an employee to use accrued time off when appearing in response to a jury summons. Employers are also not permitted to take (or threaten to take) an adverse employment action against an employee who fulfills his or her civic duty. This past session, the General Assembly has added to the list of what an employer cannot do vis-à-vis an employee involved in jury duty. Effective October 1, 2012, an employer...
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