The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Barbuto v. Advantage Sales & Marketing, LLC has ruled that handicapped employees, who have been prescribed medical marijuana, may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation and employers, at the very least, have an obligation to engage such employees in an interactive process to assist in making this determination. 

As we previously reported, the Nevada Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to provide a reasonable accommodation to a female employee or applicant for a condition relating to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition The Act also includes certain notice requirements.

On August 28, 2017, Missouri House Bill (HB) 1194 will take effect and the (1) City of St. Louis’ minimum wage will decrease from $10.00 per hour to the state minimum wage of $7.70 per hour and (2) Kansas City’s minimum wage, which was previously scheduled to increase from $7.70 to $8.50 per hour on September 18, 2017, will remain unchanged.

Texas is the 47^th state to join the fray of states enacting statewide bans on texting while driving. The new law prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending electronic messages unless the vehicle is stopped.

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has approved new regulations that expand the protections available for people who identify as transgender. The regulations also expand protections for gender identity and gender expression.

Effective July 1, 2017, large employers in Georgia that pay sick leave to their employees—or choose to do so in the future—must allow their employees to use paid sick leave to care for their “immediate family members.”