Compliance Stuff

  Quick Hits Significant new limitations on restrictive covenants with healthcare practitioners relating to noncompetition, nondisparagement, and nondisclosure took effect on June 9, 2025. Employers will soon be prohibited from asking an applicant’s age, date of birth, or date of graduation from any educational institution prior to an interview or conditional job offer. Starting in January 2026, striking workers will be eligible for up to ten weeks of unemployment benefits during a strike. Workplace Accommodations for Agricultural Workers (HB 2541) Governor Kotek signed  House Bill (HB) 2541  into law on May 7, 2025. Under HB 2541, certain agricultural workers must now be provided with the same accommodations for the expression of breast milk during work hours that have been provided to employees in other industries. Those accommodations include rest periods and a private location to express breast milk that is not a public restroom or toilet stall and that is in close pr...

Each month, GovDocs Employment Law & Compliance Team will provide the scoop on key bills making their way through the legislative process. This month tackles pending legislation on discrimination laws at the state level. While there is a plethora of pending discrimination legislation, this article will specifically discuss three bills that have passed both the House and Senate in Oregon, Hawaii, and Montana.     Oregon Discrimination Legislation  Oregon’s state legislature recently passed House Bill 3187 ( HB 3187 ) relating to age-based employment discrimination during the first stages of the job application process. If signed by the governor, HB 3187 would amend the state’s discrimination law so that employers, prospective employers, and employment agencies are prohibited from requesting or requiring an applicant to provide their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance and/or graduation of any educational institution prior to completing an initial interview ...

  On March 17, 2025, in an unprecedented action, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), under the direction of Acting Chair Andrea R. Lucas,   issued 20 extensive letters to large , prominent law firms containing over 100 requests for information and documentation related to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. This action appears to be a direct response to the March 6, 2025,   Executive Order   (3/6 EO), which specifically addressed Perkins Coie LLP. Section 4 of the 3/6 EO directed the EEOC Chair to investigate the DEI practices of other major law firms, focusing on potential set-asides or quotas and discriminatory decision-making in areas such as promotions, training, travel, client team assignments, and event participation. Although the EEOC typically requires a Charge of Discrimination (filed by an aggrieved person or an EEOC Commissioner) to initiate an investigation, it also has limited authority to conduct directed investigat...