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.

• 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.

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

• California - Paid sick leave changes go into effect on January 1, 2024. Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 worked and can carry over up to 80 hours. Companies may limit the use of leave to 40 hours.

• Illinois - Employers are required to provide paid leave to employees effective January 1, 2024. Employees can now use up to 40 hours of paid leave for any reason.

• Illinois - As of January 1, 2024 employees in Illinois who experience the death of a child by homicide or suicide, or who have family members killed in crimes of violence are entitled to leave.

• Illinois - Employees may now take paid leave to donate blood and organs as of January 1, 2024.

• Illinois - Employees who have family members who are victims of violent crimes can take leave with an update to the VESSA, the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act.

• Illinois - The Illinois Personnel Record Review Act, effective January 1, 2024, removes restrictions around an employee's ability to access their personnel records.

• Colorado - Paid Family and Medical Leave (FAMLI) benefits are updated as of January 1, 2024.

• Colorado - Several new and expanded pay transparency and disclosure rules go into effect on January 1, 2024.

• California - Reproductive loss leaveprovides employees with leave for a reproductive loss effective January 1, 2024.

• Minnesota - Effective January 1, 2024, employers are required to provide paid sick and safe leave for employees and their families.

• Oregon - Leave is extended to victims of bias effective January 1, 2024.

• Oregon - Protections are provided against retaliation fordisclosing hazards, effective January 1, 2024.

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

• Massachusetts - Employees can use accrued paid time off to supplement their PFML leave. The employee handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• New York - Employees in the hotel industry are required to have training on recognizing human trafficking.


• Chicago - Expands paid leave for Chicago employees, and accrued time per pay period increases.

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

• Maryland - Effective October 1, 2023, the noncompete wage threshold has been updated. Employers are prohibited from using a noncompete agreement for employees who make less than 150% of Maryland’s minimum wage.

• New York City - Paid Safe and Sick Leave in NYC has been updated to include changes to employer size, work location, accruals, and more.



• Chicago, Ill - Employers in Chicago may not ask employees or use information related to arrest records. This includes changing the terms of their employment status.

• Connecticut - A mental health wellness day is now a qualifying reason for paid sick leave for victims of sexual assault or family violence.

• California - Effective October 1, 2023 employers are prohibited from considering or disseminating information about an applicant's criminal history until after the employer makes a conditional offer of employment. The California Employment and Housing Act defines these changes.

• Montana - The Montana legislature clarifies that free speech is not an allowed reason for discharge, including speech on social media.

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

• Texas - The CROWN Act became law and takes effect on September 1, 2023. This adds protection against discrimination based on an employee’s hairstyle. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• California- Employees' wages are subject to a maximum amount of garnishment per CA SB 1477. This limits garnishments and provides a threshold for minimum earnings in a workweek.

• New York - An updated bill prohibits employers from refusing to attend captive audience meetings, whose primary purpose is communicating the employer’s religious, political, or views related to joining or supporting a union. The law is effective as of September 6, 2023.

• New York - Employers with 4 or more employees must include a pay range and job description in all postings for jobs if the work will be performed in New York or if the supervision of the job happens in New York.

• Oregon - Paid Leave Oregon, which provides paid leave for caring for an employee, their family after the birth or adoption of a child, or for illness goes into effect on September 3, 2023. The law also provides leave for victims of violence.

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

• Colorado - The standard for unlawful harassment has been lowered per the POWR Act and now includes marital status as a protected characteristic.

• Colorado - As of August 7, 2023 nondisclosure agreements that limit an employee’s speech relating to discrimination or unfair practices are invalidated.

• Colorado - In an update to the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, Bereavement was added as an additional reason for paid leave.

• Colorado - Military leave for Colorado employees is extended under HB 23-1040.

• Louisiana - As of August 1, 2023, employees are provided a day’s leave of absence for genetic testing and cancer screening. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Minnesota - New protections are added against discrimination based on an employee’s hairstyle. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• North Dakota - An update to the Human Rights Act clarifies that the term “pregnancy” includes childbirth, pregnancy, and related medical conditions. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Minnesota - New warehouse worker protections for employers require new worker safety measures outlined in Statute 182.6526.

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

• Arkansas - As of July 2023, The Arkansas CROWN Act adds protection against discrimination based on an employee’s hairstyle. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Arkansas - The Youth Hiring Act of 2023 makes it legal for employers to hire children under 16 without a work permit from the Arkansas Division of Labor.

• Florida - As of July 1, 2023, House Bill 543, a license is no longer required to carry a concealed weapon. Companies still have the option to prevent employees and customers from carrying concealed weapons on company property.

• Florida - Employers with at least 25 employees are now required to use E-Verify to verify that all employees have legal status for working in the state, per SB 1718.

• Georgia - Employees are prohibited from smoking and vaping in enclosed spaces per the Georgia Smokefree Air Act. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Georgia - Employers must provide time for employees to votein person and provide voting time for employees who have shifts that begin more than two hours after polls open or end more than two hours before polls close. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Maine - An update was passed to the Maine Human Rights Act with respect to gender identity.

• Maryland - The state constitution has been modified to legalize recreational marijuana.

• New York - Employers must provide nursing mothers with spaces to express breast milk that meets certain criteria and implement a written policy for breastfeeding. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Virginia - Social Security numbers may no longer be used as an identifier for an employee.

• Virginia - Employers with 50 or more employees are required to offer unpaid leave for bone marrow or organ donation. The handbook has been updated to reflect this change.

• Minnesota - As of July 1, 2023, any non-compete agreement between an employer and employee is void and cannot be enforced.

• Minnesota - Lactation Accommodations have been updated and now apply to employers of all sizes and remove limitations on lactation breaks after 12 months of the birth of a child.

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

• Florida - Florida prohibits employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations, masks, or testing as a condition of employment in the Protection from Discrimination Based on Health Care Choices bill. This legislation becomes effective June 1, 2023.

• Michigan - Effective June 14, 2023 the state expands protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act 453.

• New Jersey - The New Jersey Dept of Labor now requires minors to register with the department before beginning work. Employees under 18 must obtain a certificate, even if they’re employed by family members.

• New Mexico - Gender identity, sex, and sexual orientation were added to the expanded New Mexico Human Rights Act.