UPDATE: Colorado Paid Sick Leave
We have updated the logic on this policy so that it will populate for users with one (1) or more employees in Colorado to reflect the expansion of the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), effective January 1, 2022. Previously, the HFWA applied if employers had 16 or more employees nationally and at least one (1) in Colorado. In addition, changes have been made in the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and the policy to update the employer coverage.
UPDATE: New York: Sick Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to reflect the new regulations issued by the New York Department of Labor in late December 2021. Among other things, the regulations clarify that employers must count employees nationwide (not just employees in New York) to determine how much leave they must provide and limit employee notice requirements.
UPDATE: New York City: Safe and Sick Leave (Includes The New York Paid Sick Leave Law)
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to reflect the new regulations issued by the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) in late December 2021 and the New York City COVID-19 child vaccination leave requirements. Among other things, the NYDOL regulations clarify that employers must count employees nationwide (not just employees in New York) to determine how much leave they must provide and limit employee notice requirements. The COVID-19 child vaccination leave is available through December 31, 2022 and is addressed in new additions to the policy.
UPDATE: Washington: Paid Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include temporary pandemic eligibility requirements. The Explain this to me also includes new information about the Washington Cares contributions for long-term care benefits that employers should begin withholding January 1, 2022.
UPDATE: Minnesota: Lactation Breaks
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to reflect changes to Minnesota law addressing lactation breaks, effective January 1, 2022. Lactation breaks now must be compensated instead of unpaid as previously allowed.
UPDATE: Minnesota: Pregnancy Accommodations
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect changes to Minnesota law addressing pregnancy accommodations, effective January 1, 2022. The law now applies to employers with 15 or more employees total and at least one (1) employee in Minnesota. No changes were made to the policy.
UPDATE: Illinois: Leave for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Violence or Other Crimes of Violence
We have updated the policy title, advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to reflect recent amendments to the Illinois Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act, to include leave for any other crime of violence, as well as leave for domestic, sexual and gender violence, effective January 1, 2022.
UPDATE: Colorado: Overtime
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include the COMPS Order #38 poster as required by Colorado law. The COMPS Order #38 is effective January 1, 2022.
NEW: Colorado: COMPS Order Acknowledgment Form
We have provided a new acknowledgment form for employers in Colorado. Under Colorado law, if the employer requires employees to sign an acknowledgment of any handbook, manual or policy it also must, at the same time or promptly thereafter, include a copy of either the COMPS Order or a COMPS Order poster published by the CDLE and have the employee sign an acknowledgment of being provided the COMPS Order or the COMPS Order poster.
NEW: Connecticut: Family and Medical Leave
We have added a new policy for employers covered by the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CFMLA) but not covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because they have fewer than 50 employees. The new policy explains employees’ rights to family and medical leave under the CFMLA, which was recently expanded to cover Connecticut employers with one (1) or more employees, effective January 1, 2022. Previously, the CFMLA applied to employers with 75 or more employees.
This policy is not required but is strongly recommended to show compliance and to explain the CFMLA requirements to employees.
UPDATE: Connecticut Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on recent amendments to the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act (CFMLA) that take effect January 1, 2022. Specifically, the CFMLA has been amended to apply to all employers with one (1) or more employees in Connecticut. Previously, the CFMLA applied to employers with 75 or more employees. The CFMLA also now allows employees to take an additional two (2) weeks of leave for an incapacitating serious health condition that occurs during pregnancy in addition to the 12 weeks previously allowed and expands eligibility to employees who have worked three (3) months immediately preceding the request for leave.
New: Pennsylvania: Allegheny County Paid Sick Time
We have added a new policy for employers with at least one (1) employee in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and 26 or more employees nationally. Effective December 15, 2021, covered employers must provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to eligible employees.
This handbook policy is not required but is strongly recommended to show compliance and provide information about paid sick leave to employees.
UPDATE: Oregon: Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on recent amendments to the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) that take effect January 1, 2022. Specifically, the OFLA expands coverage to include leave to care for a child who requires home care due to the closure of the child’s school or child care provider as a result of a public health emergency. In addition, the OFLA has been updated to lower the threshold of days an employee must work to qualify for paid leave during a public health emergency and to allow employees who are reemployed after a separation or returning after a temporary work cessation within 180 days to be eligible for OFLA leave.
NEW: Connecticut: Paid Leave Benefits
The Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) provides most employees working in Connecticut with up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave benefits effective January 1, 2022. Employees who have a serious health condition resulting in incapacitation that occurs during a pregnancy also may take an additional two (2) weeks of paid leave for a total of 14 weeks.
This policy is optional; however, we strongly recommend including it in your handbook to show compliance and to explain the PFMLA requirements to employees as well as for reconciliation with other paid time off policies.
UPDATE: Remote Work/Telecommuting
We have added a new question to the Questionnaire to allow employers to choose whether they have the Remote Work/Telecommuting policy in their handbooks. Previously, the policy was added automatically.
UPDATE: California Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on the recent amendments to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) that take effect January 1, 2022. Specifically, the CFRA has been expanded to allow eligible employees to take leave to care for a parent-in-law and also for a “designated person,” defined as a person identified by the employee at the time the employee requests CFRA leave. Note that these expansions only apply to leave under the CFRA and are not covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act.
UPDATE: California Family Rights Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on the recent amendments to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) that take effect January 1, 2022. Specifically, the law has been expanded to allow eligible employees to take CFRA leave to care for a parent-in-law and also for a “designated person,” defined as a person identified by the employee at the time the employee requests CFRA leave.
UPDATE: District of Columbia: Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on the recent amendments to the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act (DC FMLA). Specifically, the law has been amended to expand employee eligibility requirements to employees who have worked 12 consecutive or non-consecutive months in the seven (7) years immediately preceding the date on which the period of family or medical leave is to commence. The advisory notes (Explain this to me) also have been updated to include additional information on the DC FMLA requirements.
UPDATE: District of Columbia Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy to include information on recent amendments to the District of Columbia Universal Paid Leave Act. Specifically, the law has been amended to allow employees to take paid time off for pre-natal medical care as well as miscarriages and stillbirths. In addition, effective October 31, 2021, the number of weeks of paid leave has been increased to provide up to six (6) weeks of paid medical leave (up from two (2) weeks), and a new pre-natal leave benefit of two (2) weeks has been added.
UPDATE: South Carolina Cover Pages
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Illinois Business Expense Reimbursement
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: South Carolina Lactation Accommodation
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Oregon Sick Time
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Georgia Lactation Accommodations
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Vermont Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Rhode Island Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: New York Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATED: Massachusetts Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Connecticut Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Maine Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
UPDATE: Non-Harassment
We have revised this policy to correct a grammatical error. No substantive changes have been made to the policy.
NEW: New York: Pregnancy Accommodations
Under New York’s Human Rights Law, all New York employers must provide reasonable accommodation for pregnancy-related conditions unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer. This policy is not required by law but is recommended to ensure compliance and notify employees of their rights.
DELETED: Maryland: Sick Days
This policy has been deleted from the Maryland Employee Handbook Builder. The Maryland Sick Days policy was the same as the general Sick Days policy, except that the Explain this to me note included information on the Maryland Flexible Leave Act (MFLA). The MFLA is not a leave law but allows employees to use any employer-provided paid leave for leave to care for immediate family members who are ill and for bereavement leave for immediate family members. The general Sick Days policy also allows employees to use paid sick leave for a family member's illness or for any other reason required by applicable state or local law and so covers the MFLA requirements. The Maryland Sick Days policy, therefore, is unnecessary and was deleted.
Please republish your handbook to remove the Maryland Sick Days policy. If you customized the Maryland Sick Days policy, you will need to make those revisions to the general Sick Days policy in your handbook.
UPDATE: Illinois: School Visitation Leave
The logic for this policy has been updated so that only users that indicate they have 50 or more employees in Illinois will receive it. If your organization has 50 or more employees, please review the Number of Employees in the Interview section of the Employee Handbook Builder and confirm or update the number of employees in Illinois to indicate 50 or more employees, click on the Save button and then republish your Employee Handbook. This step will ensure the Illinois School Visitation policy is included in your Employee Handbook if you have 50 or more employees in Illinois.
If your organization has fewer than 50 employees in Illinois, confirm or update the number of employees in Illinois to indicate fewer than 50 employees, click on the Save button and then republish your Employee Handbook to remove the policy.
UPDATE: Maryland: Paid Vacations
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include information on the Maryland Flexible Leave Act allowing employees to use employer-provided paid leave such as paid vacations for leave to care for an immediate family member who is ill and for bereavement leave upon the death of an immediate family member.
UPDATE: Maryland: Paid Time Off
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include expansions to the Maryland Flexible Leave Act allowing employees to use employer-provided paid leave such as paid time off for bereavement leave upon the death of an immediate family member (in addition to leave to care for an immediate family member who is ill) and to address the Maryland and Montgomery County paid sick leave laws.
UPDATE: MD Montgomery Co. Earned Sick & Safe Leave (For Employees Covered Under MD Healthy Working
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include information on the Maryland Flexible Leave Act allowing employees to use employer-provided paid leave such as paid sick leave for leave to care for an immediate family member who is ill and for bereavement leave upon the death of an immediate family member.
UPDATE: Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include information on the Maryland Flexible Leave Act allowing employees to use employer-provided paid leave such as paid sick leave for leave to care for an immediate family member who is ill and for bereavement leave upon the death of an immediate family member. In addition, we updated the policy to remove references to the February 11, 2018 effective date.
NEW: Connecticut: Lactation Breaks
Connecticut law has been amended to require employers to provide breastfeeding employees with a room or other location where an employee can express milk in private, unless doing so would create an undue hardship for employers. The new law takes effect October 1, 2021.
This handbook policy is not required but is strongly recommended to inform employees of their rights and obligations under the law.
UPDATE: New York: HERO Act Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan Addendum
We have updated the Addendum text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect the designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health by the New York State Commissioner of Health on September 6, 2021. Employers must implement their IDEPPs in their workplaces and should review and update them, if necessary, to ensure that they incorporate the latest information, guidance and mandatory requirements issued by federal, state or local governments related to COVID-19.
UPDATE: Montana: About This Handbook/Disclaimer
We have updated the policy and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect recent changes to the Montana Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act (WDEA). The WDEA, which generally prohibits the termination of employees except for “good cause,” now allows employers to have probationary periods of 12 months, with extensions of up to six (6) months more, when new employees can be terminated at will. In addition, the WDEA has expanded the definition of “good cause” to include the employee’s material or repeated violation of an express provision of the employer’s written policies.
UPDATE: Montana: General Handbook Acknowledgment
We have updated the Acknowledgment and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect recent changes to the Montana Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act (WDEA). The WDEA, which generally prohibits the termination of employees except for “good cause,” now allows employers to have probationary periods of 12 months, with extensions of up to six (6) months more, when new employees can be terminated at will. In addition, the WDEA has expanded the definition of “good cause” to include the employee’s material or repeated violation of an express provision of the employer’s written policies.
UPDATE: Maine: Family and Medical Leave
We have updated the policy text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include changes to the Maine Family and Medical Leave Act (MFMLA) expanding the definition of family member to allow an eligible employee to take MFMLA leave to care for a grandchild or a domestic partner’s grandchild, effective September 14, 2021.
UPDATE: Minnesota: Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to remove the information regarding the court case challenging the Minneapolis Safe and Sick Time (SST) Ordinance’s application to employers based outside of Minneapolis. The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the Minneapolis SST Ordinance applies to employers that are not physically located in Minneapolis if the employer has employees who physically work in Minneapolis and are eligible for the SST. A new Interview Question also has been added to allow employers to choose to provide SST either by an accrual or grant method.
UPDATE: Minnesota: Duluth Earned Sick and Safe Time
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect changes to the City of Duluth Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Ordinance that now requires employers that maintain an employee handbook to include an ESST policy in their handbook, effective August 19, 2021. In addition, the policy has been revised to reflect the Ordinance’s new requirement that employees receive paid leave for lost work hours when their place of employment is closed for public health reasons.
NEW: Louisiana Pregnancy Accommodations
Louisiana law has been amended to require employers with 25 or more employees in Louisiana to provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees for pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless doing so would create an undue hardship for employers, effective August 1, 2021.
This handbook policy is not required but is strongly recommended to inform employees of their rights and obligations under the law.
UPDATE: Chicago/Cook County Earned Sick Leave
We have updated the policy to include expanded reasons for paid sick leave use in Chicago based on Ordinance No. O2021-2182, effective August 1, 2021. Specifically, the ordinance now allows paid sick leave to be used for behavioral issues, substance abuse, and reasons related to human trafficking, as well as to obey any order by the City of Chicago or Department of Public Health or the Governor requiring an employee to stay home to minimize the transmission of a communicable disease or while experiencing symptoms or to obey a quarantine order or an isolation order.
UPDATE: Kentucky Adoption Leave
We have updated the policy text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect recent changes to Kentucky law requiring all employers to provide employees with up to six (6) weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to adopt a child under the age of 10 and to indicate the adoption leave may be subject to certain exceptions. Previously, the leave was available for a child under the age of seven (7) and did not exclude specifically any adoptive relationships.
UPDATE: Paid Holidays
We added Juneteenth National Independence Day to the Paid Holidays interview question to allow employers to add this new federal holiday to their Paid Holidays policy. This federal holiday is celebrated on June 19 each year, beginning June 19, 2021.
UPDATED: Illinois Sick Days
We have updated the policy text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect recent amendments to the Illinois “kin care” law allowing employees to use half of any employer-provided paid sick leave to attend to a family member’s personal care. We also reorganized the policy language for ease of use.
NEW: Virginia: Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities
Section 2.2-3905.1 of the Virginia Human Rights Act requires reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities and applies to employers with more than five (5) employees (i.e., those with six (6) or more employees) for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. The Act does not specify whether employees must be in Virginia to be counted for coverage, so employers should assume they are covered if they have at least one (1) employee in Virginia and six (6) employees nationally.
This policy is required and must be distributed upon hire, must be included in any handbook, and must be provided to any employee within 10 days of such employee’s providing notice to the employer that such employee has a disability.
DELETED: Maryland Family and Medical Leave
This policy has been deleted from the Maryland Employee Handbook Builder. The Maryland Family and Medical Leave policy was the same as the general Family and Medical Leave policy, except that the Explain this to me note included information on the Maryland Flexible Leave Act (MFLA). The MFLA is not a leave law but allows employees to use any employer-provided sick leave for leave to care for family members. The Maryland Family and Medical Leave policy, therefore, is unnecessary and was deleted. Maryland employers will receive the Family and Medical Leave policy in their handbooks if they have 50 or more employees. In addition, the MFLA requirements are included in the Maryland Sick Days policy.
Please review the Number of Employees in the Interview section of the Employee Handbook Builder and confirm or update the Total number of employees to indicate 50 or more employees and click on the Save button, and then republish your Employee Handbook. This step will remove the Maryland Family and Medical Leave policy and add the general Family and Medical Leave policy to your Employee Handbook.
NEW: New Hampshire Pregnancy Disability Leave
New Hampshire requires employers with at least one (1) employee in New Hampshire and six (6) or more employees nationally to provide employees with an unpaid leave of absence for the period of temporary physical disability resulting from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
This policy is not required by law, but we recommend including the policy in the handbook to ensure employees understand their rights to pregnancy disability leave and to show compliance with state law.
UPDATE: Washington Pregnancy Accommodations
We have updated the policy text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to include the right to take reasonable breaks to express breast milk at work as an accommodation as required by amendments to Washington’s pregnancy accommodations law. The policy and advisory notes (Explain this to me) also have been updated to clarify the lifting accommodations per revised guidance issued by the Washington Attorney General’s office.
UPDATE: New York State Paid Family Leave
We added an interview question that allows subscribers to identify their insurance carrier if applicable. We also updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy text to clarify that PFL is available to eligible employees for up to 12 weeks within any 52-consecutive-week period.
UPDATE: Seattle Paid Sick & Safe Time (For Employees Also Covered Under Washington Paid Sick Leave)
We updated this policy, adding an interview question with a chart that allows subscribers to identify their tier and accrual rate of paid sick and safe time based on their number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. We also expanded the advisory notes (Explain this to me) explanation of how to determine FTEs, and made some minor edits to the policy text.
UPDATE: California Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention
All employees are required to undergo sexual harassment prevention training as required by California law, and updated California regulations now require employers to include a link to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) sexual harassment prevention training website in their harassment policies. We revised the policy to include the link to the DFEH website enabling employees to access information about this training.
UPDATE: California Paid Vacations
We added an interview question that allows employers to choose their annual accrual cap amount. A cap lower than one and one-half (1.5) times an employee’s yearly vacation accrual is not advisable.
We also made minor edits to the policy itself and added content in the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATE: California Paid Personal Days
We added an interview question that allows employers to choose their annual accrual cap amount. A cap lower than one and one-half (1.5) times an employee’s yearly accrual is not advisable.
We also made minor edits to the policy itself and added content in the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATE: California Paid Time Off (PTO)
We added an interview question that allows employers to choose their annual accrual cap amount. A cap lower than one and one-half (1.5) times an employee’s yearly PTO accrual is not advisable.
We also made minor edits to the policy itself and added content in the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATE: Massachusetts Earned Sick Time
We added an interview question for this policy to make it easier for subscribers to choose either the grant or the accrual option.
New Mississippi State Flag Icon
The new Mississippi state flag icon is now available for inclusion in the Mississippi Employee Handbook. To include the flag icon on the cover page of your Mississippi Employee Handbook, please republish your handbook, at which time the icon will appear on the cover.
UPDATE: Tennessee Maternity Leave
We have updated the policy to include adoption and to provide more information on notice requirements and reinstatement rights.
UPDATE: Paid Pregnancy Disability Benefits
We have retitled the former Paid Maternity Benefits policy in the Benefits section of your Handbook Builder. The new title is Paid Pregnancy Disability Benefits, which better describes the policy content.
We also updated the policy text and advisory notes (Explain this to me) to clarify that the benefits are only available for pregnancy disability, not bonding/parental leave.
This policy applies only to employers that offer paid pregnancy disability benefits.
DELETED: New York: Westchester County Earned Sick Leave
This policy has been removed from the New York Employee Handbook Builder. The passage of the New York state Paid Sick Leave law negates the need for a separate Westchester sick leave policy. Westchester employees will be covered under New York Sick and Safe Leave. Note that the Westchester Safe Time policy still applies.
Please republish your handbook to remove Westchester County Earned Sick Leave.
UPDATE: Louisiana Pregnancy Leave
We updated this policy to clarify that employees who are disabled by pregnancy may take up to four (4) months of unpaid leave and that employer-provided paid time off may be used during the otherwise unpaid leave.
UPDATE: Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
We updated this policy based on guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave. The advisory notes (Explain this to me) include links to a new poster and employee notice forms that employers may use to comply with posting and notice requirements.
As of January 1, 2021, most employees working in Massachusetts are eligible for between 12 and 26 weeks of job-protected, paid family and medical leave benefits under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA), which applies to all employers. If the employer has 25 or more employees, benefits are funded by employer and employee payroll contributions. If the employer has fewer than 25 employees, funding is by employee payroll contributions alone.
This policy is optional; however we strongly recommend including it your handbook to show compliance and to explain the PFMLA requirements to employees.
UPDATE: Hawaii Leave for Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence
The policy has been updated to address new certification requirements for non-medical leave and medical certification requirements as a result of changes to Hawaii's domestic and sexual violence leave law that take effect on January 1, 2021.
UPDATE: California Leave for Victims of Crime or Abuse (including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault
We updated this policy to reflect January 1, 2021 changes to CA's domestic and sexual violence leave law that expands the coverage of the law to crime and abuse as well as domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The policy applies to employers with one (1) or more employees in CA and 25 or more total employees.
DELETED: California New Parent Leave
The California New Parent Leave Act has been repealed effective January 1, 2021, and small employers previously covered by that law (i.e., those with between 20 and 49 employees) should use the new California Family Rights policy. While we have removed New Parent Leave from the California Employee Handbook Builder, the law and its requirements are still in effect until December 31, 2020. Therefore, employers may wish to keep the policy in their published handbooks until January and then republish to remove the policy from their published handbook.
UPDATE: New York Westchester County Safe Time Leave
The advisory notes for this policy were updated to explain the interaction between the Westchester County Safe Leave law and the New York State Sick and Save Leave law.
The Westchester law requires all employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid Safe Time Leave per year to employees who work in Westchester County for more than 90 days in a calendar year and are victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.
This handbook policy is optional; however, we strongly recommend including it in the handbook.
UPDATE: California Paid Family Leave Benefits
The policy was updated to reflect that as of January 1, 2021, employees may be eligible to receive benefits through the California Paid Family Leave program when they take leave to participate in a qualifying exigency related to the covered active duty or call to covered active duty of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent in the Armed Forces of the United States.
Earlier this year, we updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to reflect that employees may be eligible for up to eight (8) weeks of partial pay.
NEW: Maine Paid Leave
Effective January 1, 2021, Maine’s Earned Paid Leave law requires employers with 11 or more employees in Maine to provide up to 40 hours of paid leave to be used for any reason.
The handbook policy is optional, however for consistency with other paid leave laws, we strongly recommend including the policy in the handbook. Maine employers also are required to post Maine’s Regulation of Employment poster in all workplaces.
UPDATED: San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Benefits
We updated this policy to clarify that as of July 1, 2020, employees may receive up to eight (8) weeks of leave in a 12-month period.
Note that the policy applies to employers with 20 or more employees (including employees in and out of the City/County of San Francisco).
UPDATE: Hawaii Family and Medical Leave
The policy has been updated to reflect recent state law (HB2148 HD1 SD1) that extends family leave to include the care of grandchildren and siblings. The law was signed on September 15, 2020, but is retroactive to July 1, 2020.
UPDATE: Oregon Non-Harassment and Discrimination
We have updated the Time Period To Bring a Legal Claim paragraph to state that individuals have five (5) years to file a claim for unlawful harassment or discrimination occurring on or after September 29, 2020.
The Oregon Workplace Fairness Act requires all Oregon employers to adopt a written policy containing procedures and practices to reduce and prevent specific types of unlawful harassment, discrimination and sexual assault. This new policy incorporates the Act’s requirements and also prohibits harassment and discrimination protected by federal law, with a special emphasis on sexual harassment.
This policy replaces the national Non-Harassment and Sexual Harassment policies previously included in the Oregon Employee Handbook Builder. The new, comprehensive Non-Harassment policy will help employers streamline their harassment procedures since the requirements are addressed in a single policy.
To reiterate, the Sexual Harassment policy has been deleted from the Handbook Builder.
To accompany the policy, we've also added a Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy. We suggest you print and ask employees to sign the Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy.
NEW: Virginia Pregnancy Accommodations
Under the Virginia Values Act, which took effect on July 1, 2020, employers must make reasonable accommodation to the known limitations of a person related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless they can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.
The law applies to employers with five (5) or more employees in the U.S. and at least one (1) in Virginia for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar years.
This policy must be included in the employee handbook no later than October 29, 2020.
NEW: Bernalillo County, New Mexico Earned Paid Time Off
Effective October 1, 2020, under the Employee Wellness Act, employers with two or more employees in the unincorporated limits of Bernalillo County, New Mexico must provide earned paid time off to eligible employees. The paid time off may be used for any reason, and the amount that must be provided per year is between 28 and 56 hours depending on employer size.
The handbook policy is optional; however, for consistency with other paid time off laws which require written notice to employees, we strongly recommend including the policy in the handbook.
UPDATE: Michigan Your Paycheck
Stemming from a periodic review of handbook policies, we replaced Michigan Your Paycheck with the national policy. The policies are similar and there was no reason for a separate Michigan policy.
UPDATE: Michigan Working Hours and Schedule
Stemming from a periodic review of handbook policies, we replaced Michigan Working Hours and Schedule with the national policy. The policies are similar and there was no reason for a separate Michigan policy.
NEW: Tennessee Pregnancy Accommodations
The Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions to job applicants and employees unless doing so would create a business hardship. Note that the state statute defines “hardship” as “an action requiring significant difficulty or expense.”
The Act takes effect on October 1, 2020 and applies to employers with at least one (1) employee in Tennessee and 15 or more employees nationally.
This policy is optional, but we strongly recommend including it in the Employee Handbook.
NEW: New York Harassment Complaint Form
Every employer in New York State is required to adopt a sexual harassment policy and a complaint form. The New York Non-Harassment Policy, which covers all forms of harassment including sexual harassment, is included separately in the Employee Handbook Builder and is intended to comply with the New York policy requirement.
This new complaint form replaces the Sexual Harassment Complaint form in the New York Handbook Builder.
DELETED: New Jersey Non-Harassment
With the recent updates to the national Non-Harassment policy, a state-specific Non-Harassment policy for New Jersey is no longer needed. Therefore, we deleted the New Jersey Non-Harassment policy and replaced it with the national Non-Harassment policy.
New Jersey Handbook users should review and save the Non-Harassment policy and republish their New Jersey Handbook to ensure it contains the latest provisions.
UPDATE: Acknowledgement & Receipt California Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention
Given the changes to the California Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention policy, we suggest you print and ask employees to sign the updated Acknowledgement & Receipt of the California Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention policy. This also can be accomplished as part of your annual training on employee policies.
All employees should sign and return the Receipt. This Receipt is vital because the employees' signature is an acknowledgment of their receipt of the California: Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention policy, their obligation to comply with its terms and their acknowledgment of the reporting mechanisms the company provides for policy violations. It also shows the employer's compliance with the law's requirements. Procedures should be implemented to ensure that this and all other acknowledgments are collected and retained in employees' personnel files.
UPDATE: Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy
We have updated the Non-Harassment policy to address all forms of harassment based on protected class membership, with a special emphasis on sexual harassment. The updated policy replaces the separate Non-Harassment and Sexual Harassment policies previously included in the Employee Handbook Builder and will help employers streamline their harassment procedures since the requirements are addressed in a single policy.
Given the changes to the Non-Harassment policy, we suggest you print and ask employees to sign the updated Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy. This also can be accomplished as part of your annual training on employee policies.
UPDATE: Equal Employment Opportunity
We updated the policy to comply with federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, including transgender status.
NOTE that a separate EEO policy for UTAH is no longer necessary in light of the inclusions in the federal policy. The state policy has been removed from the Handbook Builder and replaced with the federal policy.
UPDATED: New Jersey Equal Employment Opportunity
We updated the policy to comply with federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, including transgender status.
UPDATED: California Equal Employment Opportunity
We updated the policy to comply with federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, including transgender status.
UPDATED: Minnesota Equal Employment Opportunity
We updated the policy to comply with federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, including transgender status.
UPDATE: New York Voting Leave
This policy has been updated to reflect recent changes to New York’s voting leave law that were included in the state’s 2020 budget.
DELAYED Implementation of Dallas Earned Paid Sick Time
We have pulled Dallas Earned Paid Sick Time from the Texas Handbook Builder because of a court ruling to delay implementation of the Dallas Paid Sick Leave Ordinance.
The Ordinance, requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who work in Dallas, went into effect August 1, 2019, but the city delayed enforcement until April 1, 2020. On March 30, 2020, implementation was further delayed by a U.S. District Court ruling.
If you added the policy to your handbook, you may wish to delete it until the case is resolved and the effective date is known. You can do so by accessing your handbook builder and republishing your handbook.
UPDATE: Oregon Family and Medical Leave
We have corrected a minor programming error in the policy content. The correction will require you to accept the updated policy in the Handbook Builder.
UPDATE: Workplace Conduct
We have corrected a minor programming error in the policy content. The correction will require you to accept the updated policy in the Handbook Builder.
UPDATE: New Jersey Earned Sick and Safe Leave
We have updated the policy to reflect that earned sick and safe leave may be used for school or workplace closings related to an epidemic or public health emergency or declaration of a state of emergency (including reasons specific to the employee or a member of the employee’s family).
UPDATED: Vermont Earned Sick Time
The advisory notes and policy have been updated to allow subscribers to provide earned sick time through an accrual or grant method.
UPDATE: New Jersey Family and Medical Leave
This provision was updated to allow leave in the event of a state of emergency declared by the Governor, or when indicated to be needed by the Commissioner of Health or other public health authority, an epidemic of a communicable disease, a known or suspected exposure to the communicable disease, or efforts to prevent spread of the communicable disease.
UPDATE: New Jersey Family Leave Insurance Benefits
The provision has been updated to reflect that leave is available in the event of a state of emergency declared by the Governor, or when indicated to be needed by the Commissioner of Health or other public health authority, an epidemic of a communicable disease, a known or suspected exposure to the communicable disease, or efforts to prevent spread of the communicable disease.
NEW: New Mexico Pregnancy Accommodations
This policy reflects the provisions of the New Mexico Pregnant Worker Accommodation Act, which takes effect May 20, 2020.
This policy applies to employers with four (4) or more employees nationally and at least one (1) in New Mexico. Including the policy in the handbook is optional, although we strongly recommend doing so.
UPDATE: Rhode Island Earned Sick and Safe Leave
The policy and advisory notes have been updated to remove references to the 2018 effective date and the step progression of hours of sick and safe leave provided. As of 2020, employees must be allowed to accrue and use up to 40 hours each calendar year.
UPDATE: Connecticut Paid Sick Leave
The policy and advisory notes have been updated to remove references to the 2012 effective date.
NEW: Pittsburgh Paid Sick Time
Effective March 15, 2020 in accordance with the City of Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act, employers with any employees in Pittsburgh must provide paid sick time to eligible employees. The amount of paid sick time employees are eligible for depends on the size of the employer’s workforce
NEW: New Jersey Pre-Tax Transportation Fringe Benefit
Effective March 1, 2020, every employer in New Jersey that employs at least 20 people nationally and at least one (1) in New Jersey (including full-time, part-time, seasonal, temporary, supplied by placement agency, etc.) is required to offer a pre-tax transportation fringe benefit to all of its employees who are not subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
Including this policy in your Employee Handbook is optional, but it may be useful to show compliance with the law.
This policy replaces the Transportation Reimbursement Program policy for employers that qualify for the transportation fringe benefit, i.e., employers with 20 employees nationally and at least one (1) in New Jersey.
UPDATE: Record Retention
We updated the interview question to give subscribers the option to add other titles in the question regarding informing the company of a potential or actual litigation, external audit, investigation or similar proceeding.
NOTE that if you are satisfied with your policy as is, there is no need to update your response to this interview question or republish your handbook.
UPDATE: Washington Pregnancy and Childbirth Leave
We have updated this policy to reflect changes necessitated by the new Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave policy and to comply with the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), which applies to employers with eight (8) or more employees. WLAD prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy and requires covered employers to provide employees with a leave of absence for the period of time that they are sick or temporarily disabled because of pregnancy or childbirth. In addition, employers must treat employees on pregnancy disability leave in the same manner as other employees on leave for sickness or other temporary disabilities. Pregnant employees are eligible for the leave regardless of number of hours worked.
NEW: Nevada Paid Leave
We have added this policy to the Nevada Handbook Builder. In accordance with Nevada law, all employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada must provide paid leave effective January 1, 2020. The required paid leave may be used for any purpose.
Please visit and update the number of employees in the Handbook Builder so this policy populates correctly.
Note that the law specifically exempts from coverage "An employer who, pursuant to a contract, policy, collective bargaining agreement or other agreement, provides employees with a policy for paid leave or a policy for paid time off to all scheduled employees at a rate of at least 0.01923 hours of paid leave per hour of work performed.”
UPDATE: California Bone Marrow Donation Leave
This policy applies to employers with 15 or more TOTAL employees and at least one (1) employee in California. We have not made any content updates to this policy but ask employers to visit and update the number of employees in their Handbook Builders to make sure this policy populates correctly.
UPDATE: California Organ Donation Leave
California law requires employers with 15 or more employees nationally and at least one employee in California to provide eligible employees with up to 30 days of paid leave in any one-year period to participate in an organ donation. Effective January 1, 2020, covered employers also must provide employees with an additional 30 days of unpaid leave in any one-year period for the same purpose.
Please be sure to visit and update the number of employees in your Handbook Builder to make sure this policy populates correctly.
UPDATE: California Lactation Breaks
This policy has been updated to comply with California law, which requires all employers to provide a reasonable amount of break time and compliant room or location to accommodate employees who want to express breast milk for their infant child. In addition, effective January 1, 2020, California employers must have a policy that addresses lactation accommodation.
UPDATE: San Francisco Lactation Breaks
This policy has been updated to comply with California’s law, effective January 1, 2020 requiring employers to have a lactation accommodation policy. Employers in San Francisco may use this policy to comply with both laws.
Under the law, all employers in San Francisco City and County must provide a reasonable amount of break time and a compliant room or location to accommodate an employee who wants to express breast milk for the employee’s infant child. In addition, employers must have a policy that addresses lactation breaks.
Please note that the title of the policy has been changed from Lactation "Accommodations" to Lactation "Breaks."
NEW: Oregon Workplace Accommodations
Effective January 1, 2020, Oregon employers with at least one (1) employee in Oregon and six (6) or more employees nationally must provide reasonable accommodations for employees with pregnancy-related conditions. The new law (HB 2341) amends Oregon's civil rights code and its mandate extends to medical conditions related to pregnancy, including childbirth and lactation, and expands protections against pregnancy-related discrimination.
This provision is not required by law, but it is considered a best practice to comply with the law's requirements.
NEW: New York Reproductive Health Decision Making Discrimination
This new policy is effective on January 1, 2020 for New York employers. The State of New York has added section 203-E to its Labor Law prohibiting discrimination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making.
An employer that provides an employee handbook to its employees must include in the handbook notice of employee rights and remedies pursuant to this law, and this provision is intended to comply with the requirement.
NEW: Maine Pregnancy Accommodations
Maine’s “An Act to Protect Pregnant Workers,” which applies to all Maine employers, provides broad protections for workers, covering any limitation of an employee’s ability to perform their job due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation. The law took effect September 19, 2019 and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions.
This handbook policy is not required but is strongly recommended to inform employees of their rights and obligations under the Act.
UPDATE: Oregon Lactation Breaks
Effective September 29, 2019, Oregon now requires all employers to provide a “reasonable” rest period to express milk each time an employee has a need to do so until the child reaches 18 months of age. Previously, Oregon required employers with 25 or more employees to provide one (1) 30-minute break per four (4) hours worked. This provision has been updated to reflect the new requirement.
UPDATE: Drug-Free and Alcohol-Free Workplace
We added extensive advisory notes behind the “explain this to me” tab explaining state laws on medical and recreational marijuana and how they affect the policy. We urge all subscribers to review the notes. We also added an additional reference to medical marijuana in the policy text acknowledging it is a controlled substance.
UPDATE: Philadelphia Paid Sick Time
The logic for including this policy in your handbook has been adjusted, but the policy itself has not changed. This policy will appear in the PA handbook only if a subscriber has one (1) or more employees in Philadelphia. If you want this policy in your PA handbook, please make sure you enter the number of employees in Philadelphia in the interview section of the handbook builder.
UPDATE: Bereavement Leave
We updated the policy to give subscribers the option to add relatives to the list included in the policy. We also added "civil union partner" to the list of close relatives.
NOTE that New York and New Jersey previously had state-specific policies that included civil union partners as close relatives. Now that this relationship is included in the model policy, we have deleted the separate state policies. NY and NJ subscribers who had customized their Bereavement policy will need to make those revisions to the updated policy in their handbook.
UPDATE: California Working Hours and Schedule
We have added the option to include variable hours in the policy.
Note that this updated policy includes recent provisions in the California Wage Orders, which require that employers maintain accurate time records of when non-exempt employees begin and end each work period, including meal periods. Failure to comply with such requirements subjects an employer to significant liability.
UPDATE: Working Hours and Schedule
We have added the option to include variable hours in the policy. Should you wish to add variable hours, please answer the interview questions, update the policy, and republish your handbook.
If you are content with your policy the way it is (i.e., standard hours), there is no need to republish your handbook.
NEW: Pittsburgh Pregnancy Accommodations
This new policy applies to employers with 5 or more employees in Pittsburgh, PA, and complies with a recent Pittsburgh City Code (Article V, Chapter 659, Section 659.02) that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees because of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and events. In addition, covered employers must reasonably accommodate employees because of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions and events.
This policy is not specifically required by law but is intended to comply with the PHCR’s guidance regarding “best practices” to implement the Code. Protections apply to pregnant employees, persons affected by a pregnancy-related condition, and to the partner of a pregnant person or person affected by a pregnancy-related condition.
NEW: Kentucky Pregnancy Accommodations
This new policy applies to employers with 15 or more employees in Kentucky. The Kentucky Pregnancy Workers Act (effective June 27, 2019) requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodation for pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Kentucky also prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
This policy is optional, but we recommend including it in your handbook.
NEW: Tennessee Abusive Conduct Prevention
This policy is optional, but strongly recommended because it can serve as a defense to workplace “bullying” suits brought by employees in Tennessee.
HB 856 extended the Healthy Workplace Act to all private employers and provides that if an employer adopts the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations’ model policy on abusive conduct in the workplace then the employer is immune from suit for any employee's abusive conduct that results in negligent or intentional infliction of mental anguish. The law took effect April 23, 2019.
NEW: Baltimore City Lactation Accommodation
Effective April 15, 2019, employees have a legal right to request a lactation accommodation pursuant to the Baltimore City Lactation Accommodation in the Workplace Ordinance (the “Ordinance”).
The Ordinance applies to employers with two (2) or more full-time equivalent employees in the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Employers must include a written policy on lactation accommodation in their employee handbooks and distribute the policy upon hiring.
For more details, please review the policy and the advisory notes behind the “Explain this to me” tab.
UPDATE: Arizona Earned Paid Sick Time
This policy has been updated to allow employers to provide sick time either as an accrual or as a front-loaded grant.
The policy applies to all employers, but the amount of earned paid sick time for which employees are eligible depends on the size of the employer’s workforce in Arizona.
Please be sure to read the advisory notes (Explain this to me) and answer the interview questions.
NEW: New York Westchester County Earned Sick Leave
Effective April 10, 2019, Westchester County, New York enacted the Earned Sick Leave Law that applies to all employers with employees in Westchester County, New York.
The law covers employees that work within Westchester County for more than 80 hours in a calendar year. Employers with five (5) or more employees will be required to provide paid sick leave; employers with four (4) or fewer employees must provide unpaid sick leave. Employees begin accruing the paid leave on July 10, 2019.
This handbook policy is optional. However, by July 10, 2019, employers must provide current employees with a copy of the Earned Sick Leave Law and written notice of how the law applies to them and must display a copy of the law and a poster in a conspicuous location in the workplace. Employees hired after July 10, 2019 must be provided a copy of the Earned Sick Leave Law and written notice of how the law applies to them upon commencing employment. This policy helps to satisfy the written notice requirement.
NOTE: this policy was updated on 4/23/19 to reflect the latest guidance from the County. The revisions allow employers to provide sick leave as a front-loaded grant or as an accrual.
UPDATE: New Jersey Safe Act Leave
The provision has been updated to reflect that while eligible employees may elect to use any employer-provided paid time off such as paid vacation or sick time during leave under the NJ SAFE Act, employers may no longer require them to use the paid time. Eligible employees also now may be able to receive paid family leave insurance benefits when they take leave under the NJ SAFE Act. For more information on this benefit, please see the New Jersey Family Leave Insurance Benefits policy.
UPDATE: New York City Lactation Room
Effective March 18, 2019, employers with four (4) or more employees in New York City must implement a written lactation room policy. The policy must be distributed to all employees upon hire.
Please note that the policy was updated significantly effective April 9, 2019 based on new guidance from the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
NEW: Michigan Paid Medical Leave
The Michigan Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA) requires employers with 50 or more employees (regardless of where they are located or how many hours they work) to provide eligible nonexempt employees with up to 40 hours of paid sick leave each year to be used for their own illness or a family member’s illness, for absences related to domestic or sexual violence, for school or workplace closings related to a public health emergency, and for the employee’s or employee’s family member’s exposure to a communicable disease. The law is effective March 29, 2019.
This handbook policy is optional but recommended.
NEW: California Business Expense Reimbursement
California law requires employers to reimburse employees for “all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge” of the employees' duties. The law does not require employers to have a policy addressing business expense reimbursement, but it is recommended to show compliance with the law.
UPDATE: Business Expense Reimbursement
We have updated the advisory notes behind the "Explain this to me" tab. No policy content was changed.
UPDATE: Illinois Pregnancy Accommodations
We have updated this policy to define "undue hardship," which are the conditions that may affect the ordinary operation of the business and, therefore, make it difficult for an employer to provide an accommodation for employee pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions.
The definition is included in the "Explain this to me" advisory notes.
NEW: Illinois Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Notice
All employers in Illinois must provide notice to employees explaining their right to be free from discrimination in the workplace and their right to reasonable accommodation based on pregnancy and disability and their right to be free from sexual harassment.
This notice is intended to comply with the Illinois handbook requirement and should be included in your employee handbook.
UPDATE: References
An interview question was added to allow subscribers to more easily customize this policy.
UPDATE: Exit Interviews
An interview question was added to allow subscribers to more easily customize this policy.
UPDATE: Safe Harbor Policy for Exempt Employees
This policy was updated to further clarify when deductions may be made from exempt employee pay for full-day absences related to sickness or disability.
UPDATE: Illinois Lactation Breaks
The Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act requires employers with six (6) or more employees to provide nursing mothers reasonable break time to express breast milk during the workday unless doing so would create an undue hardship for the employer. Amendments to the Act, which took effect August 21, 2018, clarify that the break time “may not reduce an employee’s compensation for time used” to express milk, and so the break time generally should be paid. Employers also must make reasonable efforts to provide a private room or location other than a toilet stall in close proximity to the employee’s work area. The Act further requires that break time be provided for at least one (1) year after the birth of a child, but the policy does not impose a time limit to support working women who continue breastfeeding for longer periods.
Including the policy in the Employee Handbook is not required but is recommended.
NEW: South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the South Carolina Handbook Builder. The South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations Act requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions to job applicants and employees and prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The Act applies to employers with at least one employee in South Carolina and 15 or more employees nationally.
NEW: New York City Temporary Schedule Change
New York City’s Temporary Schedule Change Law provides covered employees the right to temporary changes to their work schedule for certain “personal events," which are explained in the policy. This law applies to all employers who have one (1) or more employees in New York City.
Including this policy in your handbook is optional, but employers’ policies must meet or exceed the requirements of the Temporary Schedule Change Law. In addition, employers must post a notice in the workplace explaining rights under the law.
Please Review and Update Number of Employees in Interview Section
It is critical that employers make sure the number of employees is correct in all the classifications shown,
i.e., total (national) and by location (state, city, county, town, etc.) because increasingly, state and local laws that apply to employee handbook provisions base requirements on total number of employees and/or number of employees in a state and/or other municipality.
The type of information in policies linked to number of employees includes leaves of absence, length of leaves, paid or unpaid sick leave, and pregnancy accommodations, among other topics.
The most common example is the Family and Medical Leave (FML) policy. The policy, which is required by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius. Some states also have their own FML laws that apply even if an employer has fewer than 50 employees. If your employee counts are incorrect, you may miss the cut-off and a state- or federally-required policy will not appear in your handbook builder, which can cause compliance issues.
In addition, as we introduce new policies, we want to make sure you are receiving those that are applicable based on the size and location of your organization. Therefore, we recommend that employers regularly review the “Number of Employees” entered in the Interview section of their Handbook Builder and confirm or update the counts as appropriate.
NEW: West Virginia Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added Pregnancy Accommodations to the West Virginia Handbook Builder. The West Virginia’s Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act requires a covered employer to make a reasonable accommodation for health conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions of a job applicant or employee, unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the operations of the Company.
Including this policy in the employee handbook is optional. The Act applies to employers employing 12 or more employees within West Virginia for 20 or more calendar weeks in a calendar year.
NEW: Vermont Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the Vermont Handbook Builder. According to Vermont law (21 V.S.A. § 495k) effective January 1, 2018, Vermont employees with pregnancy-related conditions have a right to reasonable accommodations in the workplace to perform their job. The law applies to all Vermont workplaces and all pregnant employees.
Including this policy in the employee handbook is optional. Employers must post notice of the law in a place conspicuous to employees at the employer's place of business.
NEW: Utah Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the Utah Handbook Builder. It applies to employers with 15 or more employees in Utah, and requires covered employers to make a reasonable accommodation for an employee for pregnancy, child birth, breastfeeding or a related condition upon the employee’s request unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the operations of the employer.
NEW: Nevada Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the Nevada Handbook Builder. This policy applies to employers with 15 or more employees nationally and at least one (1) employee in Nevada.
Under the Nevada Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act (the “Act”), effective October 1, 2017, Nev. Rev. Stat § 613.335(2) - (8), employees have the right to reasonable accommodations in the workplace for pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.
Including this policy in the employee handbook is optional. The Act requires employers to provide notice to all new employees at the time of hire and also requires employers to post a notice in the workplace and give notice within 10 days after employees report to an immediate supervisor that they are pregnant.
NEW: New Jersey Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the New Jersey Handbook Builder. New Jersey law prohibits all employers from treating an employee affected by pregnancy or breastfeeding in a manner less favorable than the treatment of other persons not affected by pregnancy or breastfeeding but who are similar in their ability or inability to work. Employers also are required to provide reasonable accommodation to women affected by pregnancy unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the business operations of the employer.
Including this policy in the employee handbook is optional.
NEW: Nebraska Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added this policy to the Nebraska Handbook Builder. The law covers employers with 15 or more total employees and at least one (1) employee in Nebraska. Nebraska law requires reasonable accommodation to the known physical limitations of any individual who is pregnant, has given birth or has a related medical condition unless the employer can demonstrate doing so would pose an undue hardship.
Including this policy in the employee handbook is optional.
UPDATE: Colorado Pregnancy Accommodations
We have updated the Pregnancy Accommodations policy in the Colorado Handbook Builder. We added an interview question to identify the contact for requesting an accommodation.
UPDATE: Maryland Pregnancy Accommodations
This policy has been updated to correct a grammatical error.
UPDATE: Delaware Pregnancy Accommodations
We added an interview question for this policy that allows you to identify a contact for questions or accommodation requests.
Also, please note that this policy applies to employers with four (4) or more employees in Delaware. Please make sure that the number of employees in Delaware is correct in the Interview section of the Handbook Builder.
UPDATE: Hawaii Pregnancy Accommodations (formerly Maternity Leave)
We updated the former Hawaii Maternity Leave policy to:
- Include pregnancy accommodations, resulting in significant content changes to the policy and new advisory notes behind the “Explain this to me” tab;
- Change the title to Hawaii: Pregnancy Accommodations;
- Add an interview question about the contact for questions or accommodation requests; and
- Relocate the policy from the “Leaves of Absence” section of the Handbook Builder to the “Governing Principles of Employment” section.
UPDATE: Rhode Island School Involvement Leave
We have updated the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to clarify that the law applies only to private employers with 50 or more employees and at least one (1) employee in Rhode Island.
Please make sure the Rhode Island employee counts in your handbook are up-to-date in the Interview section (“Number of Employees”). If the “Number of Employees” is 0 for Rhode Island and if "Total Number of Employees" is 49 or less, the updated policy will not be generated.
UPDATE: San Francisco Family Friendly Workplace Policy
The San Francisco Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance applies to employers with one (1) or more employees in San Francisco and 20 or more total employees, regardless of location.
Please make sure the San Francisco employee counts in your handbook are up-to-date in the Interview section (“Number of Employees”). If the “Number of Employees” is 0 for San Francisco and if "Total Number of Employees" is 19 or less, the updated policy will not be generated.
UPDATE: New York Jury Duty Leave
We have updated Jury Duty Leave in the New York Handbook Builder.
The payment requirements (in the first sentence of the last paragraph) now link to the number of employees in New York, such that:
- Employers with 10 or more employees will see the text: The company will compensate the juror with a fee of $40 or the juror’s regular wage (whichever is lower) for the first three (3) days of jury service.
- Employers with nine (9) or less employees will see the text: The company will not compensate non-exempt employees for time off while on jury duty leave.
Of course, you can edit the text to match your company policy.
UPDATE: Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave
As of May 1, 2018, Small Necessities Leave was deleted from subscriber handbooks if a subscriber was not FMLA-eligible.
The policy only is applicable if an employer has Massachusetts employees who are eligible for leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), i.e., they work at worksites with 50 or more employees in a 75-mile radius.
In the past, some employers included this policy in their handbooks even though they did not meet the FMLA criteria. Please revisit the Interview section of the Handbook Builder and confirm or update the total number of employees in your company and the number in Massachusetts to ensure the right policy content is generated in your Employee Handbook.
If you wish to keep Small Necessities Leave in your handbook even if the Company does not have any Massachusetts employees covered by the FMLA, you must create a custom policy (Add Provision) that includes the Small Necessities Leave policy language. Please contact Technical Support at 844-687-0479 or techsupport@blr.com if you need help creating a custom policy.
UPDATE: New York City Supplemental Gender Discrimination
This New York City policy has been updated to include the expanded definition of gender that takes effect May 11, 2018.
It applies only to employees located in New York City. The policy is optional but we strongly recommend including it in your handbook due to enforcement guidance issued by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
Be sure to read the “Explain this to me” advisory notes.
UPDATE: Job Postings
We corrected a grammatical error in the policy.
NEW: Massachusetts Pregnancy Accommodations
Massachusetts Pregnancy Accommodations has been added to the Massachusetts Handbook Builder. This policy reflects the provisions of the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that takes effect April 1, 2018. The Act prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy and related conditions and requires reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers.
This policy applies to Massachusetts employers with six (6) or more employees and to other employers with six (6) or more employees nationally that also have one (1) or more employees in Massachusetts.
Please revisit the Interview section of the Handbook Builder and confirm or update the number of employees in Massachusetts to ensure the right policy text is generated in your Employee Handbook. Also, please answer the new interview question for the policy and read the guidance provided behind the “Explain this to me” tab.
NEW: Connecticut Pregnancy Accommodations
Connecticut Pregnancy Accommodations has been added to the Connecticut Handbook Builder. It reflects the provisions of Public Act No. 17-118 Concerning Pregnant Women in the Workplace that took effect October 1, 2017. The Act prohibits employers from discriminating against pregnant workers and requires reasonable accommodation of their pregnancies. Employers are required to provide notice of the Act as of January 28, 2018.
The policy applies to Connecticut employers with at least three (3) employees in Connecticut and to other employers with at least three (3) employees nationally and one (1) or more employees in Connecticut. This handbook policy is not required but is considered a good practice to inform employees of their rights and obligations under the Act.
Please revisit the Interview section of the Handbook Builder and confirm or update the number of employees in Connecticut to ensure the right policy text is generated in your Employee Handbook. Also, please answer the new interview question for the policy and read the guidance provided behind the “Explain this to me” tab.
DELETE: Spokane Earned Sick and Safe Leave
We will remove the Spokane Earned Sick and Safe Leave policy from the Employee Handbook Builder effective March 6, 2018. The Spokane Earned Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance expired on December 31, 2017, and the Washington paid sick leave law now applies to Spokane employers instead.
Spokane employers should implement the Washington Paid Sick Leave policy and may choose to allow employees to carry over paid sick and safe leave accrued under the Spokane Earned Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance for use under the Washington Paid Sick Leave policy, but are not required to do so.
Please refer to the new Washington: Paid Sick Leave policy for further information and to create a new policy.
NEW: Washington Paid Sick Leave
This new policy, effective January 1, 2018, includes the paid sick leave requirements created by Washington Initiative 1433. This new policy applies to all non-exempt employees in the State of Washington. The new State law also prompted changes in the sick leave policies for Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane. Please see the posts for those cities if you have employees in the cities.
Be sure to answer the interview questions associated with this policy and also read the advisory notes behind the Explain This to Me tab.
UPDATE: Tacoma Paid Leave
Tacoma Paid Leave has been updated to reflect changes made to the Tacoma paid leave ordinance to incorporate the new State requirements, but the Tacoma ordinance also covers exempt employees. Tacoma employers should maintain the updated policy and if there are employees in other parts of Washington, add the Washington policy.
Be sure to review and answer the interview questions for the policy, and review the guidance provided behind the “Explain this to me” tab.
NEW: Berkeley, CA Paid Sick Leave
This new policy, effective 10/1/2017, has been drafted to comply with California’s Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act. This handbook policy is optional, although we strongly recommend including it in the handbook. The model notice was not yet available when this advisory was drafted. Check the city's minimum wage ordinance web page for updates.
UPDATED: Oregon Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking Leave
We have updated this policy to clarify that all employers who employ six (6) or more employees in Oregon are obligated to provide leave to an employee regardless of how many hours that employee works.
UPDATE: Minnesota Crime Victims Leave
The policy was updated to clarify that leave is unpaid.
UPDATED: San Diego Earned Sick Leave
The agency enforcing sick leave ordinances recently clarified that sick leave is intended only to apply to non-exempt employees in San Diego. Accordingly, we have updated the chart listing all California sick leave policies and, where applicable, we have updated the San Diego interview questions, policy text and the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATED: Emeryville Paid Sick Leave
The agency enforcing sick leave ordinances recently clarified that sick leave is intended only to apply to non-exempt employees in Emeryville. Accordingly, we have updated the chart listing all California sick leave policies and, where applicable, we have updated the Emeryville interview questions, policy text and the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
NEW: St. Paul, MN Earned Sick and Safe Time
This new policy applies to all employers, but the effective date is dependent on the number of employees in St. Paul. For employers with 24 or more employees in St. Paul, the effective date is July 1, 2017; for employers with 23 or fewer employees in St. Paul, the effective date is January 1, 2018.
Additionally, the ordinance permits delayed implementation for employers who are “new” to this city. Review the “Explain it to me” notes for further information.
UPDATED: Los Angeles Paid Sick Leave
Effective July 1, 2017, employers in the City of Los Angeles are covered under the ordinance regardless of the number of non-exempt employees they have.
As a reminder, we also drafted this policy to comply with California’s Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (in addition to the Los Angeles ordinance) for eligible (non-exempt) employees. NOTE that the agency enforcing this ordinance recently clarified that it is intended only to apply to non-exempt employees. We have updated the policy text and the advisory notes (Explain this to me) to address this clarification, so be sure to read both carefully. In addition, please re-answer the interview questions that precede the policy.
New York City Pregnancy Accommodations
Please note, we recently corrected a technical issue in this policy and suggest you update the policy in your handbook builder.
This policy has been added to the New York Handbook Builder. It applies only to employees located in New York City. The policy is optional but we strongly recommend including it in your handbook due to enforcement guidance issued by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
UPDATED: Santa Monica Paid Sick Leave
We added an interview question that allows users to choose a grant or accrual method for providing leave. The advisory notes and policy content were updated accordingly and some additional edits were made for consistency with recently updated sick leave policies.
UPDATED: California Paid Sick Leave
We added an interview question that allows users to choose a grant or accrual method for providing leave. The advisory notes and policy content were updated accordingly and some additional edits were made for consistency with other recently updated sick leave policies.
NEW: California Safe Harbor Policy for Exempt Employees
We have added this policy to the California Handbook. While the federal safe harbor policy is lawful in California as drafted, this new policy spells out some of the small differences between California and federal law.
Please be sure to answer the new interview question regarding the contact for escalating the issue.
UPDATED: Oakland Paid Sick Leave (Oakland Ordinance only)
The policy and the advisory notes (Explain this to me) have been updated for best practices.
UPDATED: Oakland Paid Sick Leave (Integrated Policy)
The policy and the advisory notes (Explain this to me) have been updated for best practices.
UPDATED: San Francisco Paid Sick Days
The policy and the advisory notes (Explain this to me) have been updated to more closely align with state law. The amendments to the ordinance, and consequently, the revisions to this policy, are effective January 1, 2017.
Please review all of the interview questions that precede the policy. In addition, be sure to read the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATED: San Francisco Paid Sick Leave (Integrated Policy)
The policy has been updated, based on amendments to the ordinance, effective January 1, 2017, to include bone marrow and organ donation as covered reasons for taking paid sick Leave. In addition, the policy and the advisory notes (Explain this to me) have been expanded for best practices.
Please review all of the interview questions that precede the policy. In addition, be sure to read the advisory notes (Explain this to me).
UPDATED: Massachusetts Parental Leave
This policy has been updated to clarify the parameters of the leave.
NEW: Paid Sick Leave for Covered Federal Contractors and Subcontractors
Executive Order 13706 established Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. It requires certain parties that contract with the Federal Government to provide their employees with up to 56 hours of paid sick leave annually.
Updated: All Family and Medical Leave Policies
Following an extensive review of all Family and Medical Leave policies, we have updated the policies to include content changes and also to link policy content to interview questions. Be sure to answer the interview questions that precede the policies.
NEW: Florida Domestic Violence Leave
We have added Domestic Violence Leave to the Florida Handbook Builder. This policy applies to Florida employers with 50 or more employees. Including this policy in your handbook is optional.
Be sure to answer the questions that precede the policy and read the advisory notes that accompany the poicy (Explain this to me).
NEW: Illinois Child Bereavement Leave
Illinois employers with at least 50 employees must provide employees who suffered the loss of a child with up to two weeks (10 work days) of unpaid leave under the new Child Bereavement Leave Act. The new law took effect immediately upon Governor Bruce Rauner’s signature on July 29, 2016.
This policy applies to all employees working in Illinois who are covered by the FMLA. Including the policy in the handbook is optional.
NEW: Wisconsin Leave for Emergency Responders
At our subscribers’ request, we have added Leave for Emergency Responders to the Wisconsin Handbook Builder. Including this policy in your handbook is optional.
Nebraska: Family Military Leave
At the request of subscribers, we have added Nebraska Family Military Leave to the Thompson Handbook Builder. There is no per se requirement to include this policy in the employee handbook; however, we are providing this as a model policy for employers that wish to include it.
Be sure to answer the interview question that precedes the policy as it populates the leave eligibility in the first paragraoh in the policy.
Confidential Company Information
We have updated the Confidential Company Information advisory notes (Explain this to me) and policy content.
The revised advisory notes highlight the importance of a stand-alone agreement and provide specific language an organization should include in its policy to maximize its rights to seek damages under the recently enacted Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016.
We also used this update as an opportunity to further safeguard the policy from potential NLRB challenge.
Use of Social Media
We have updated the Use of Social Media policy and advisory notes (Explain this to me).
Wisconsin: Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave
We have added an Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave policy to the Wisconsin Handbook Builder. This law applies to employers operating in the state of Wisconsin with at least 50 employees on a permanent basis. There currently is no per se requirement to include a policy in the employee handbook, but the law does impose a posting requirement for covered employers, and a model poster will soon be available for this purpose by the state’s Department of Workforce Development.
Montana: About This Handbook/Disclaimer and General Handbook Acknowledgement
We have added a Disclaimer that applies to Montana only. The Disclaimer for Montana differs from all other states as Montana is the only state in the nation where employees are not at will for the duration of their employment (absent a collective bargaining agreement).
In addition, you must accept the new General Handbook Acknowledgement for Montana and ask employees to sign and return the Receipt. This document is vital because the employees' signature is an acknowledgment of their receipt of the handbook, their obligation to comply with its terms and their acknowledgment of their at-will status, subject to the provisions of the Montana Wrongful Discharge Act. Procedures should be implemented to ensure that such signed acknowledgments are collected and retained in employees' personnel files.
California: Time Off For School Related Activities
This policy has been updated to reflect recent amendments to the Family-School Partnership Act (SB 579). This law expands the reasons for which an employee may take job-protected leave under the Family School Partnership Act.
Employers with 25 or more employees working at the same location must allow employees to use up to 40 hours of unpaid time to participate in certain school or childcare related activities. Now, employers also must allow employees to take job-protected time off to find, enroll or reenroll their children in a school or licensed day care.
Be sure to answer the interview questions that precede the policy.
Philadelphia Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking Leave
This is an optional policy that Philadelphia employers may wish to include in their handbook. All employers are covered under the ordinance, regardless of size. The ordinance requires employers to provide leave for this purpose, but the leave entitlement depends on the number of employees. The entitlement is eight (8) workweeks if an employer has 50 or more employees nationally (currently or in the prior calendar year). If the number of employees is less than 50 nationally, in both the current and the prior calendar year, the entitlement can be reduced to four (4) workweeks.
Be sure to answer the interview questions that precede the policy.
Minnesota: Family Military Leave
At the request of subscribers, we have added Minnesota Family Military Leave to the Employee Handbook Builder. There is no per se requirement to include this policy in the employee handbook; however, we are providing this as a model policy for employers that wish to include it.
Maine: Family Military Leave
At the request of subscribers, we have added Maine Family Military Leave to the Employee Handbook Builder. There is no per se requirement to include this policy in the employee handbook; however, we are providing this as a model policy for employers that wish to include it.
Indiana: Family Military Leave
At the request of subscribers, we have added Indiana Family Military Leave to the Employee Handbook Builder. There is no per se requirement to include this policy in the employee handbook; however, we are providing this as a model policy for employers that wish to include it.
Wisconsin: Family and Medical Leave
The U.S. Department of Labor requires that the following sentence be included in the policy regardless of whether or not the employer is an airline: Special hours of service eligibility requirements apply to airline flight crew employees.
We have added that sentence in the Eligibility section.
Rhode Island: Family and Medical Leave
The U.S. Department of Labor requires that the following sentence be included in the policy regardless of whether or not the employer is an airline: Special hours of service eligibility requirements apply to airline flight crew employees.
We have added that sentence in the Eligibility section.
Camera Phones/Recording Devices
We have updated the Camera Phones/Recording Devices provisions to reflect issues concerning such policies raised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB has taken the position that such a policy can restrict protected concerted activity. The model policy builds in confidential information protections to help defend against any argument brought by the NLRB, but it is not a fail-safe.
While an employer may wish to have the policy for business reasons there is a major risk with NLRB, especially if the employer cannot support legally and practically a total ban on cell phones and other recording devices on premises.
NEW - Pay Transparency Policy Statement
The Pay Transparency Policy Statement is a required policy for federal contractors that enter into new contracts after January 11, 2016. Per guidance from the government, the language should not be modified.
UPDATED - Rhode Island Overtime
We have updated the Rhode Island Overtime policy to provide guidance pertaining to retail and non-retail establishments. Be sure to review the “Explain This To Me” content.
NEW - Rhode Island: Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added a Rhode Island Pregnancy Accommodations policy to reflect provisions of a new law requiring Rhode Island employers to provide workplace accommodations for pregnant workers. The new law obligates employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for any condition related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
Updated - Massachusetts Overtime
We have updated the Overtime policy in the Massachusetts Handbook Builder to provide guidance pertaining to retail establishments. Be sure to review the “Explain This To Me” content.
NEW - DC Pregnancy Accommodations
We have added a Pregnancy Accommodations policy to the District of Columbia Handbook Builder to reflect provisions from the Protecting Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2014 ("PPWFA" or "Act").
While there is no per se requirement to include a policy in your employee handbook, we are providing this policy for employers that wish to include it in their handbook.
The PPWFA covers all employers in the District of Columbia regardless of size. It prohibits employers from requiring an employee to take leave if it is possible for the employee to continue working with reasonable accommodation.
The PPWFA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions. Under its provisions, employees needing a pregnancy-related accommodation — such as limited time on their feet and frequent restroom breaks — are entitled to those accommodations.