Required employee handbook policies by state

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Missouri - Employers must provide notice to their employees by April 15 about the new paid sick leave law that becomes effective on May 1, 2025. The new law provides either 40 or 56 hours of paid sick leave per year, depending on the size of the company.

• New Mexico - A new heat illness rule has been proposed to protect employees who work in hot conditions indoors or outdoors. It includes acclimatization, training, emergency procedures, and control measures.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• New York - Retail employers with 10 or more employees will need to adopt a workplace violence prevention policy. Larger employers with 500 or more employees have additional requirements, including installing a silent response button (SRB) or “panic button”. The effective date for this has been moved from March 4, 2025 to June 2, 2025.

• Wyoming - Non-compete agreements are much more difficult to enter into with employees and independent contractors in the state. A recently signed bill goes into effect July 1, 2025, and significantly narrows the exceptions in which a non-compete agreement is allowed.

• Federal - The State Department narrowed eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers, reducing the prior 48-month grace period to just 12 months and limiting waivers to applicants renewing visas in the same category. This change, made in response to an executive order aimed at tightening visa screening. This change affects H-1B visa applicants.

• Federal - Multiple executive orders have been issued and several are pending court challenges. Ongoing updates will be provided.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• New York - Retail employers with 10 or more employees will need to adopt a workplace violence prevention policy. Larger employers with 500 or more employees have additional requirements, including installing a silent response button (SRB) or “panic button”. The effective date for this has been moved from March 4, 2025 to June 2, 2025.

• Wyoming - Non-compete agreements are much more difficult to enter into with employees and independent contractors in the state. A recently signed bill goes into effect July 1, 2025, and significantly narrows the exceptions in which a non-compete agreement is allowed.

• Federal - The State Department narrowed eligibility for nonimmigrant visa interview waivers, reducing the prior 48-month grace period to just 12 months and limiting waivers to applicants renewing visas in the same category. This change, made in response to an executive order aimed at tightening visa screening. This change affects H-1B visa applicants.

• Federal - Multiple executive orders have been issued and several are pending court challenges. Ongoing updates will be provided.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Michigan - The Michigan Earned Sick Time Act becomes effective on February 21, 2025. Employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Employees of small businesses (fewer than 10 employees) may use up to 40 hours of leave per year, while companies with 10 or more employees may use up to 72 hours per year.

• Federal - Multiple executive orders have been issued and several are pending court challenges. Ongoing updates will be provided.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Multiple States - Many states had updates that require changes to handbook policies. You are encouraged to subscribe to incorporate the many important changes.

• Illinois - Effective January 1, 2025 employers are prohibited from using AI that has a discriminatory effect. Companies are also required to notify employees if they use AI for employment decisions.

• Illinois - Employers are required to retain pay stub information for at least 3 years and provide them to current or former employees upon request.

• Illinois - Employers must not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of family responsibilities. A new law is effective January 1, 2025.

• Missouri - Effective January 1, 2025 applicants may answer in the negative to prior convictions that have been expunged.

• New Hampshire - Many private employers who receive state funds may no longer prohibit employees from keeping a firearm in their vehicle at work.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Massachusetts - Effective November 21, 2024, employees can use earned sick time to “address the employee’s own physical and mental health needs, and those of their spouse, if the employee or the employee’s spouse experiences pregnancy loss or a failed assisted reproduction, adoption or surrogacy.”

• Alaska - As a result of Ballot Measure 1 , which passed in November several significant changes are coming including state-wide paid sick leave. Employees will accrue up to 56 hours of paid leave. The policy goes into effect July 1, 2025.

• Alaska - Voters also approved a minimum wage increase to $13/hour and restrictions to mandatory employee meetings on religious or political topics.

• Missouri - Effective May 1, 2025, Missouri employees will earn paid sick leave. Companies with 15 or more employees earn up to 56 hours, while companies with 14 or fewer employees earn up to 40 hours of paid leave. The state minimum wage was also increased to $15/hour.

• Nebraska - Employers with 20 or more employees must provide up to 56 hours of paid sick leave to employees. Companies with 19 or fewer employees must provide up to 40 hours. Nebraska voters approved a ballot initiative which goes into effect on October 1, 2025.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Connecticut - Family Violence Leave has been updated to include victims of sexual assault. Companies with 3 or more employees are required to provide up to 12 days of leave for employees who qualify for leave.

• Maryland - The Maryland Equal Pay for Equal Work Act was updated to prohibit pay discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, disability, or religious beliefs.

• Maryland - Effective October 1, 2024, companies are required to post wages and descriptions of benefits with all job postings that will be performed at least partly in Maryland.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Illinois - In House Bill 3773, the Illinois Human Rights Act was amended to protect against discrimination and require transparency regarding the use of AI in companies.

• Illinois - Employers are prohibited from requiring employees to attend mandatory “captive audience” meetings concerning union representation. The legislation goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

• Louisiana - Only workers under 16 years of age are entitled to a meal break when working 5 or more consecutive hours. The previous age required was 18.

• Minnesota - Employers are required to maintain health coverage while employees are utilizing an accommodation for pregnancy.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Minnesota - While employees take paid parental leave, employers are required to contribute to health benefits as if the employee were working. Additionally, prenatal care medical appointments do not count against the employee’s 12-week leave entitlement under the pregnancy and parental leave law.

• California - Cal/OSHA updated the “Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment”. The standard applies to most workplaces where the indoor temperature reaches 82°F.

• Michigan - The Michigan Supreme Court reinstated the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) which mandates that all Michigan employers will be required to provide employees with more generous paid sick leave. Paid sick leave is currently required under Michigan’s current paid sick leave law called The Paid Medical Leave Act, beginning on February 21, 2025.

• Colorado - Effective August 7, 2024, companies that sell or deliver goods or services in Colorado and dispatch its drivers through a digital platform have new responsibilities for disclosure, and transparency. Fines are per-occurrence. Full implementation will happen in January 2025.

• Colorado - Hair length has been added to the CROWN Act as a protected characteristic.

• Colorado - Biometric data and identifiers are protected per HB24-1130. The implementation of this law. Employers must obtain consent before using biometric information in advance. Full implementation is July 2025.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Chicago, Illinois - Effective July 1, Chicago employees who work at least 80 hours in a 4-month period are entitled to up to 40 hours of paid leave and 40 hours of sick leave per year. Up to 80 hours of sick leave can be carried over to the next year.

• California - As of July 1 nearly all employers are required to create and maintain a workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) and train their employees on their WVPP. Per SB 533, companies must conduct an initial assessment of risk factors, implement and maintain WVPP, and conduct annual training.

• Idaho - Employers have new protections from a law that expands immunity from civil damages including claims from policies specifically allowing employees to carry firearms.

• Oregon - Several changes to Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) are effective as of July 1. OFLA and PLO will no longer run concurrently (they can now run sequentially) and OFLA no longer covers parental leave and serious health conditions.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Washington - Employers in Washington State are subject to an updated noncompete law that expands protections and limits the scope of non-compete agreements for employees, effective June 6, 2024.

• New York - Effective June 19, 2024, all private employers in New York are required to provide 30 minutes of paid break time for employees to express breast milk at work. Employees can use any paid meal time if they need additional time.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Federal - In an update to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the US Department of Labor has increased the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees eligible to receive overtime pay. The new minimum salary will be raised to $43,888. This change includes white-collar employees including executive, administrative, and professional workers, and is effective July 1, 2024. The minimum salary will be raised again on January 1, 2025, to $58,565. Court challenges are expected.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• Los Angeles, California - The LA County Board of Supervisors implemented a “Ban the Box” law that gives job applicants with criminal history more protections when applying for jobs. The new statute applies to companies with 5 or more employees and goes into effect in September 2024.

• Michigan- Effective March 28, 2024, an employer cannot discriminate against an employee for termination of a pregnancy.

• New York- Companies may not request social media accounts from employees or applicants. This policy is effective as of March 12, 2024.

• New York City, New York - Employers who violate the Earned Sick and Safe Time Act are now subject to private lawsuits from employees as of March 20, 2024.

• Columbus, Ohio - Employers may not refuse to hire a job applicant for not disclosing their salary history or screen applicants based on their salary history. This policy applies to companies with 15 or more employees and is effective March 1, 2024.

• Texas - Employers may not require COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of employment.

• Utah - Confidentiality agreements going back to January 1, 2023, are invalidated as of March 13, 2024. Companies may not retaliate against an employee who refuses to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Stay in compliance with the latest updates for your company, including state and city-specific policies. Get started by creating a new handbook.

• California - Employers in California are subject to AB 1076 which makes it illegal for an employer to include a “noncompete clause” in an employment contract or requires employees to sign a non-compete agreement. Employers are required to notify current and former employees hired after January 1, 2022 that any contracts they signed are void. Employers have until February 14, 2024 to notify these employees.

• Hawaii - In 2024, Hawaii joined a growing list of states requiring employers to include pay ranges when advertising jobs to prospective or current employees. See our infographic on this topic.

• Michigan - Last year, Michigan repealed the Michigan Right to Work Act. The effective date of this change is February 13, 2024. As of the repeal date, employees in private-sector unions no longer have a statutory right to opt out of union membership or refrain from paying union dues or fees as a condition of their employment.

• Pittsburgh, PA - The City of Pittsburgh, PA will begin strict enforcement and compliance checks for local businesses, to be sure they’re providing employees with paid sick days. The city is imposing a $100 fine as well as restitution for non-compliance.

• Utah - House Bill 55 adds to the Utah Antidiscrimination Act and prohibits nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreements related to sexual harassment. These agreements are no longer allowed as a condition of employment.

• Federal - The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has updated the rules relating to “joint employers”. The new standards go into effect on February 26, 2024, and will likely mean that more companies are categorized as “joint employers”. Joint employers "share or codetermine those matters governing employees' essential terms and conditions of employment" under the updated rule.