Update your policies & procedures handbook.
Significant HR Policy Updates for 2025 (All States)
- Overtime rules: Updates to salary overtime regulations may make more employees eligible for overtime compensation[1].
- Worker classification: Changes to rules for classifying workers as independent contractors or employees[2].
- Pay transparency: Trend of requiring employers to disclose pay ranges and benefits in job postings continues to expand[3].
- Paid leave: More states adopting paid family, medical, and sick leave laws[3].
- Equity audits: Businesses encouraged to conduct equity audits to assess workplace practices that may perpetuate inequality[1].
Unique Updates by State
California
- Victim Protection Law updates: Strengthened protections for victims and their family members[4].
- Paid sick leave expansion: Now includes jury duty and victim-related leave[4].
- Driver’s license requirements: Prohibited in most job postings unless essential to the job[4][1].
- Workplace violence: CalOSHA to adopt regulations requiring hospitals to implement weapons detection screening policies by 2027[5].
- Child labor: Employers participating in social compliance audits must post findings on their website[5].
Colorado
- Overtime calculation: Holiday shift differentials must be included for nonexempt employees[6].
- Pay transparency: Employers must notify employees of all job opportunities and provide post-selection notifications[6].
- Family and Medical Leave: Up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave, with an additional 4 weeks for pregnancy-related conditions[6].
Connecticut
- Paid sick leave: Employers with 25 or more employees must provide paid sick leave starting January 1, 2025[7][6].
Delaware
- Paid Family and Medical Leave: Payroll contributions start January 1, 2025, with the first due date on April 30, 2025[7].
Illinois
- Caregiver protections: New employment protections for individuals when employers use E-Verify[7].
- Job postings: Employers with 15+ employees must disclose pay scales and benefits[4].
- EEO policy updates: Expanded to include reproductive health decisions and family responsibilities[4].
- Pay stubs: Employers must provide detailed pay stubs[4].
Kentucky
- Medical marijuana: Program takes effect allowing individuals with qualifying conditions to apply for medical marijuana patient identification cards[7].
Louisiana
- Medical marijuana: Extension of marijuana program provisions until July 1, 2030[7].
Maine
- Family and Medical Leave: Employers with 15+ employees at a single location must provide up to 10 weeks of job-protected leave[6].
- Paid leave program: Payroll deductions begin January 1, 2025; benefits usable from May 1, 2026[6].
Minnesota
- Pay transparency: Employers with 30+ employees must include pay range and benefits description in job postings[7][6][4].
New Hampshire
- Guns at work: New legislation related to firearms in the workplace (details not provided in search results)[7].
New York
- Equal Rights Amendment: Expanded constitutional protections against discrimination[7].
- Pregnancy leave: 20 hours of paid prenatal leave per 52-week period for pregnancy-related appointments or testing[6][4].
Oregon
- Warehouse worker protections: Notice and recordkeeping requirements for employers using quotas to measure worker productivity[7].
Pennsylvania
- Noncompete laws: “Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act” limits non-compete agreements to one year for certain healthcare practitioners[2].
Washington
- Paid sick leave: Expanded to cover a broader range of qualifying reasons and includes an expanded definition of family member[6].
⁂
- https://allwork.space/2024/12/2025-hr-compliance-checklist-what-u-s-hr-leaders-must-do-today/
- https://www.yourco.io/blog/new-labor-laws-2025
- https://www.tilsonhr.com/7-employment-policies-to-review-in-2025/
- https://www.whirks.com/blog/employment-law-updates-2025
- https://www.littler.com/publication-press/publication/employment-law-update-new-laws-2025
- https://escalon.services/blog/hr/2025-employment-law-updates-what-to-know
- https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/key-state-laws-set-to-take-effect-on-january-1-2025/
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Advancements over 35 years by HR experts, attorneys and entrepreneurial managers assure a positive and conscious company culture for maximum productivity.