The director of California’s Department of Finance has certified that the state’s minimum wage will increase from $16 per hour to $16.50 per hour for all employers as of January 1, 2025.

In 2020, the California voters passed Proposition 22 (Prop 22). Prop 22 allows for the classification of app-based drivers (who meet certain conditions) as independent contractors rather than employees. As a result, many app-based drivers (implicated by Prop 22) are not covered by California's workers' compensation laws because such laws apply to employees and not independent contractors.

The city of Renton, Washington, finalized rules to implement Initiative 23-02 on May 31, 2024. The initiative was approved by Renton voters in February 2024 and codified within Chapter 5-28 and Section 5-5-4 of the Renton Municipal Code (the Ordinance).

The recent passage of the New York state budget brought with it a range of employment-related developments, as well as the notable omission of an expected change. These include the following:

Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Substitute House Bill 1905 on March 28, 2024, broadening the scope of Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA).

Employers are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems to monitor employee activities ranging from schedules and timecards to performance.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule on April 23, 2024, increasing the minimum salary and compensation thresholds for certain overtime exemptions (the Final Rule) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Final Rule has a stated effective date of July 1, 2024.