Compliance Stuff

In its 2026 session, the Maryland General Assembly passed several significant pieces of legislation that, if enacted, will impact private employers in Maryland, including one that streamlines the process for bringing civil actions under county discrimination laws, several that bolster employee labor rights, and other bills that are more specific to a particular industry or public employees. 00:00 11:13 Quick Hits SB694  would establish that filing a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights satisfies the administrative prerequisites for bringing a civil action under county discrimination laws. SB831 /HB1480 would establish new civil penalties for child labor violations, prohibit the formation of certain workplace groups to address working conditions, and conditionally create a private sector state labor board. SB417 /HB45 would prohibit employers from conducting mandatory meetings on religious or political matters, which includes union organizing matters (e.g., “captiv...

Washington is one of the latest states to implement legislation prohibiting employers from requiring employee attendance at meetings promoting the employer’s view on religious or political matters. Washington’s SB 5778 will become effective June 6, 2024 as the state joins several others who have passed similar legislation, including:   Connecticut Maine Minnesota New York Oregon New Jersey What is Bill SB 5778?  SB 5778 addresses a sensitive topic employees and employers may face in the workplace. According to the law, Freedom of Speech is a “foundational ideal that is core to the nation’s identity,” but when it encompasses topics such as politics and religion in the office, it is understandable that questions and concerns may be raised, by both employers and employees. To mitigate potentially hostile situations, SB 5778 asserts that employers may not do the following:  Force an employee to attend an employer-sponsored event with the employer, their representative, ...