Employment Law Chronicle for Virginia & the District of Columbia

More than a year after the D.C. Council passed a paid sick leave law for employees in the District of Columbia, the Mayor's office is expected to issue regulations soon. Regulations are needed to clarify ambiguities so that employees know their rights and employers know their obligations, which exist already. A recent Washington Post article illustrates the need for regulations concerning D.C.'s sick leave law, now. Yesterday, in a Letter to the Editor, a writer highlighted the urgent need for regulations. I concur.

For more information about the District of Columbia's paid sick leave law, see my prior posts here and here.

As a courtesy to District of Columbia employers and employment lawyers, The Employment Law Chronicle provides summaries and links (where available) to key District of Columbia labor and employment laws.

The D.C. Wage Payment and Wage Collection Law applies to most non-government employers in the District of Columbia. In general, it requires employers to pay employees wages earned at least twice a month on regular paydays and to make timely payment of wages upon an employee's departure. The wage law does not apply to executives, administrative, or professional employees.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about payment of wages in the District of Columbia:

Continue reading "D.C. Employment Law: District of Columbia Wage Payment and Wage Collection Law, D.C. Code §§ 32-1301 et seq. " »

In November 2008, I summarized ASSLA, which is the District of Columbia’s new paid sick leave law. Since then, I have received several inquiries about workplace posting requirements. For the revised employer poster, please see the District of Columbia’s Minimum Wage Poster, which has been modified to include the ASSLA. The full text of the ASSLA is in Title 32 (Labor) of the D.C. Code.

Effective November 13, 2008, the District of Columbia's new sick leave law requires employers to provide employees with up to seven days (varies based on employer size) of paid sick leave for absences due to the employee or family member's medical condition, domestic violence or sexual abuse. While the Federal Government has paid sick-leave policies for federal employees, for now, no other jurisdiction in the Washington Metro area (Maryland or Virginia) requires employers to provide paid sick leave.

The Mayor is expected to issue rules implementing the new sick leave law within 60 days of the effective date. It is my hope that the regulations will clarify the following two issues that are, at best, ambiguous in the law: (a) whether the ASSLA applies only to employees who satisfy the DCFMLA's time and hour restrictions; and (b) the employer's control over an employee's use of carryover sick leave.

Please see the following Questions & Answers for highlights of the new law:

Continue reading "D.C. Employment Law: District of Columbia Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act ("ASSLA") Takes Effect Providing Employees With Paid Sick Leave" »

As a courtesy to employment lawyers and employers, The Employment Law Chronicle provides links to the text of key Federal, Virginia, and District of Columbia labor and employment laws published on government sites.

The DC Human Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin. sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, or political affiliation.

As a courtesy to employers and employment lawyers, The Employment Law Chronicle provides links to the text of key Federal, Virginia, and District of Columbia labor and employment laws published on government sites.

The Displaced Workers Protection Act of 1994, as amended by the Way to Work Amendment Act of 2006, requires certain new contractors who employ 25 or more people to retain eligible displaced food service, janitorial, building maintenance, non-professional health care, and security workers who performed similar services under a prior contract.

The full text of the DWPA, as amended, is found in Title 32 (Labor) of the D.C. Code.