April brought us a shower of several new employment law rules and guidance, followed shortly thereafter by many legal challenges trying to block them. It’s hard to keep up!
The EEOC was busy. First, on April 24, the EEOC issued a final rule implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which will take effect on June 18. On April 29, 2024, the EEOC published Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. This document supersedes previous EEOC guidance documents on harassment and incorporates legal updates and provides numerous examples of harassment.
The Department of Labor issued a final rule that raises the salary thresholds for certain exemptions to the overtime pay requirements of the FLSA. Unless legally blocked, these changes will take effect on July 1.
And if that wasn’t enough, HR professionals should also be aware of the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete clause rule. This rule will ban most noncompetes and render current ones invalid. Unless blocked, it is set to take effect as of September 4, 2024.
As I mentioned, it remains to be seen which of these will actually come into effect, as we wait to see how the legal challenges play out in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!
