As previously reported, California law (AB 1228) will require fast food workers to be paid a minimum of $20 per hour effective April 1, 2024. The Labor Commissioner’s Office has posted a Fast Food Minimum Wage Frequently Asked Questions to address the new law. The FAQ provides that to qualify as an exempt…

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the Labor Commissioner’s Office launched a program creating opportunities for local prosecutors to obtain funding for wage theft prosecutions. The program, called the Workers’ Rights Enforcement Grant, will provide eligible prosecutors with two annual grant awards of $8,550,000 each, for a total of $18 million. The…

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued a Proposed Rule, “Pay Equity and Transparency in Federal Contracting,” on January 30, 2024. The Proposed Rule would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs), which apply to federal government commercial contracts to be principally performed in the United States and its territories. The rule imposes three new requirements…

Certain construction workers and other employees in the construction industry must be paid the entire balance of accrued and unused paid sick leave if those workers separate from employment before they reach their 90th day of employment. This requirement, effective January 1, 2024, applies regardless of whether a worker’s separation is voluntary or involuntary.

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On January 12, 2024, Washington, D.C., joined the growing list of jurisdictions to enact wage transparency legislation when Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 (the Act), formerly known as the Pay Scale and Benefits Disclosure Amendment Act. If the Act survives the 30-day congressional review period, during which Congress…

On January 12, 2024, the Berkeley Fair Work Week Ordinance (Ordinance) became operative. As previously described, Berkeley, California, enacted an Ordinance that requires covered employers to provide work schedules to employees at least 14 calendar days in advance of a shift and provide 11 hours of rest between shifts, among other requirements.

Berkeley employers…

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued their 2024 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. The applicable rates are as follows:

• Business use. The rate for business use of a vehicle has increased to 67 cents per mile, up by 1

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