Revised Maryland Employment Discrimination Poster Includes New Categories

News Release from the Poster Compliance Center Research Dept.

A revised labor law poster that includes new categories for which a qualified person cannot be denied a job has been issued by the Maryland Commission on Human Relations.

The mandatory poster now states that a qualified person cannot be denied employment in Maryland for 10 specific reasons, including “religion” and “disability”.

The previous poster stated that a person could not be denied employment because of their “creed” or “physical or mental disability”.

In addition, the revised poster now states that employment discrimination in Maryland is “unlawful”. The previous poster stated that such discrimination was “illegal”.

There are also changes in the wording of the poster in a section outlining unlawful discriminatory practices for employment agencies and newspapers. A local phone number has been added to the poster.

Revised Louisiana Earned Income Credit Poster Includes New Eligibility Requirements

News Release from the Poster Compliance Center Research Dept.

A revised mandatory labor law poster issued by the Louisiana Department of Labor includes new eligibility requirements for employees who wish to sign up for the federal Earned Income (EIC) program.

Earned Income Credits are reductions in federal income tax liability for which employees may be eligible if they meet certain requirements.

The Louisiana Earned Income Credit poster has been updated for 2008 to include a new section giving specific income limits for employees depending on the number of children they have.

The poster issued by the Louisiana Department of Labor also includes a new requirement that employees must have valid Social Security numbers to be eligible for advance Earned Income Credit payments.

Revised Alabama Child Labor Laws Poster Includes Both State and Federal Requirements

News Release from the Poster Compliance Center Research Dept.

A revised labor law poster issued by the Alabama Department of Labor includes new language that incorporates both state and federal requirements for employers hiring youths in the state.

The mandatory workplace poster titled “Youth Rules!” has been rewritten in a question and answer format that includes “What Jobs Can I Do?” and “When Can I Work?” sections.

The poster provides answers to these questions for specific age groups based on both state and federal laws. The stricter laws regarding youth employment are shown in italics on the poster.

Included in the poster are new employment restrictions for children 13 or younger and new information on work hours for minors 16 years and older. Sections regarding jobs on premises serving alcoholic beverages and inspections by the Department of Labor have also been removed.

In addition, contact information for the federal Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has been added to the poster.

Family and Medical Leave Act Changes for First Time in 15 Years

February 1, 2008 — The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) has changed for the first time in 15 years.

The U.S. Department of Labor has confirmed that the required FMLA poster will be revised to reflect the changes in the law. We will update our federal poster as soon as the Wage and Hour Division issues the new version of the FMLA notice, which is currently being developed.

The FMLA notice must be posted by all covered employers, which means those with 50 or more employees, as well as public agencies and elementary and secondary schools regardless of the number of employees.

On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed HR 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008, which includes a section that expands the FMLA for military service members.

Section 585 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) legislation amends the FMLA to permit a “spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin” to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a “member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness.”

The provisions providing this leave went into effect on the date the President signed the bill into law, according to the U.S. Department of Labor website.

Another FMLA provision in the NDAA permits an employee to take FMLA leave for “any qualifying exigency” related to the fact that the spouse or a son, daughter, or parent “is on active duty in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency operation”. This provision is not effective until the Secretary of Labor issues final regulations with a definition of “any qualifying exigency”.

You can order our updated federal poster to stay in compliance with the FMLA change OR you can choose the permanent solution favored by many HR managers -- our 1-Year Compliance Protection plan.

For further information about the changes to the FMLA, you can go to the U.S. Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/NDAA_fmla.htm.