What's New in State Laws: New Hampshire
New Hampshire Discrimination
New Hampshire became the 26th U.S. state to enact a version of the model CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” The new law, which went into effect on September 1, 2024, states no person shall be subjected to discrimination in employment because he or she wears a protective hairstyle, which means hairstyles or hair type, including braids, locs, tight coils or curls, corn rows, Bantu knots, Afros, twists, and head wraps. An exception was made for those employed by the Department of Corrections (Ch. 117 (H.B. 1169), L. 2024, effective Sept. 1, 2024).
In addition, new law prohibits an employer from discharging or any other disciplinary action against any employee for failing to report to work where the failure is due to the employee's responding, in his or her capacity as a volunteer member of a fire department or ambulance department, to an emergency they witness or come upon while en route to a place of employment. The law further states that no such employer shall be required to compensate any such employee for any period of time the employee failed to report to work due to such an absence. The employer is entitled to request that the employee submit a statement signed by the chief of such fire department or ambulance department certifying the date and time such employee responded to and returned from the emergency. Finally, such an employee is required to inform his or her employer or immediate supervisor of the reasons for the failure to report (Ch. 45 (H.B. 182), L. 2024, effective Aug. 13, 2024).
New Hampshire Unemployment Benefits
New Hampshire unemployment benefits eligibility criteria is amended to provide that an individual would not be eligible for any week or weeks during any part of which the individual is not available for work outside of the individual's home, unless work to be conducted within the individual's home offers a reasonable expectation of substantial employment opportunities based on rules adopted by the commissioner pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 541-A (S.B. 330 (N.H. 2024), effective July 3, 2024).
New Hampshire Wage Payment
Following the death of an employee, wages due may be paid by the employer, upon demand, without requiring administration or letters testamentary, provided the amount does not exceed $3,000, and absent actual notice of the pendency of probate proceedings. Previously this amount was capped at $300 (H.B. 1201 (N.H. 2024), effective Sept. 10, 2024).
Source(s): Gallagher via Wolters Kluwer, received on October 8, 2024; NH HB 1169 (CROWN Act); HB 182 (volunteer discrimination) accessed on October 11, 2024; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. 541-A (S.B. 330 (N.H. 2024, accessed on October 11, 2024; H.B. 1201 (N.H. 2024), effective Sept. 10, 2024).
This was an e-mail Compliance received from Gallagher "Compliance Directions", received on Tuesday October 8, 2024. We decided to break the information out by State. Compliance Calendar will be updated appropriately.