- New Jersey’s Pay Transparency Law Takes Effect Next Month
- Oregon to Increase Minimum Wage This Summer
- Judge Strikes Down Workplace Protections for Transgender Employees
- Microsoft Plans to Lay Off 3% of Workforce
New Jersey’s Pay Transparency Law Takes Effect Next Month
New Jersey’s pay transparency law is set to take effect on June 1. Signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy last November, the new law will require employers to disclose certain compensation and benefits information in job listings and for promotional opportunities.
As stated by employment law firm Fisher Phillips, “New Jersey employers will need to disclose the hourly wage or salary (or range) and a general description of benefits and other compensation programs for which the employee would be eligible. [Employers] will need to include this information in each posting for a new job, as well as transfer opportunities that are advertised externally or internally. Notably, [employers] will still have some flexibility to increase the wages, benefits and compensation when making an offer of employment.”
The new law also includes penalties for non-compliance: $300 for the first violation and $600 for each subsequent violation.
Oregon to Increase Minimum Wage This Summer
Oregon’s automatic minimum wage increase for non-exempt employees will take effect on July 1.
The state’s minimum wage is based on three population-based tiers with it varying $2.25 per hour from the largest to the small counties. Last month, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries commissioner Christina Stephenson announced the following 35-cent increases throughout the state:
- The Portland metro area’s minimum wage will increase from $15.95 to $16.30 per hour for counties within the urban growth area.
- The “standard minimum wage” will increase from $14.70 to $15.05 per hour for most counties outside the Portland area.
- The minimum wage for the smallest, non-urban counties will increase from $13.70 to $14.05 per hour.
Judge Strikes Down Workplace Protections for Transgender Employees
As reported by the Associated Press, a Texas federal judge has struck down guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) establishing protections against workplace harassment based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on Thursday, May 15, determined that the EOCC exceeded its statutory authority when the agency issued guidance to employers against deliberately using the preferred pronouns for an employee, refusing them access to bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity and barring employees from wearing dress code-compliant clothing according to their gender identity because they may constitute forms of workplace harassment.
The EEOC, which enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws, had updated its guidance on workplace harassment in April 2024 under President Joe Biden for the first time in 25 years. It followed a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that gay, lesbian and transgender people are protected from employment discrimination.
The decision marks the latest blow to workplace protections for transgender workers following President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order declaring that the government would recognize only two “immutable” sexes — male and female.
Microsoft Plans to Lay Off 3% of Workforce
Tech software company Microsoft announced on Tuesday, May 13, it was going to lay off 3% of employees across all levels, teams and geographies, affecting about 6,000 people.
The job cuts are not related to performance, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC. Rather, the cuts are to reduce layers of management.
Microsoft had 228,000 employees worldwide at the end of June 2024.
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