Monday Morning Minute
In This Issue
Oregon Signs Paid Leave Into Law
Trending Laws: Protecting Personal Information
Firm Locations:  
  

Chicago Office:
Willis Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive
61st Floor-Suite 6154
Chicago, IL  60606
O. 312.291.8299


Milwaukee Office:
Historic Third Ward
342 N. Water Street
Suite 600
Milwaukee, WI  53202
O. 414.323.6337 


Phoenix Area Admin Office:
36889 N. Tom Darlington Dr.
PO Box 2800-145
Carefree, Arizona 85377
 
                  July 8, 2019
 
TRUSTED LEGAL ADVISORS 
FOR 
ALL YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS
                      

www.psb-attorneys.com 

 

                                                   Follow us on Twitter Like me on Facebook

OREGON:  GET READY, SET AND ITS A GO FOR PAID LEAVE!
 
Oregon officially has the most inclusive law in the country with respect to paid leave when Governor Katy Brown signed the bill into law last week. Here are the highlights: 

  • It will include 100% wage replacement for low-wage workers;
  • It has an inclusive definition of family as it includes  extended family, non-blood related family and LGBTQ+ chosen family'
  • Employees receive up to 12 weeks off and an extra two weeks for those who are giving birth;
  • The time off will be paid and it will be progressive wage replacement, which means those earning the lowest wages will receive up to 100% of their wages. People making more money will progressively make less, up to a cap;
  • Employers with over 25 employees will pay into the program as will the employees. All employees will have access to the program;
  • Employers with over 25 employees will pay 40% of up to 1% of payroll and all employees will pay 60% of up to 1% of payroll;
  • The program will start taking contributions in 2022, and people will be able to start using it in 2023.

The program will take a few years to get started because it's a new social insurance program, just like unemployment insurance or workers compensation.


PROTECTING PRIVACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION  
 
State and federal governments are making efforts to enact legislative schemes to protect the privacy and security of personally identifiable information that is collected, purchased, or stored.   California, for example, has passed the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"). The CCPA gives consumers the right to control what personally identifiable information is protected from disclosure, and the enumerates the consumer's right to control what a company does with that information. The information CCPA seeks to govern could be as simple as an individual's name. This law gives consumers the ability to delete or downloaded the collected data or opt out of the sale of their information. The CCPA is scheduled to go into effect in June, 2020. The federal government as well as eleven other states are examining legislative schemes similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act.
 
Approximately a half dozen other states have enacted or are considering legislation to control the collection, storage, use, and sale of biometric information, such as finger scans, retina and iris scans, and hand scans, The standard bearer for these types of laws is the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires individual written consent to collect and use this information, and dictates its destruction when the biometric information is no longer used or collected. Some of these state laws, such as Illinois', provide for a private cause of action for enforcement. Damages for failure to comply with the law can be staggering. Each negligent violation is subject to a $1000 fine; each intentional violation is subject to a $5000 fine.
 
Call Spognardi Baiocchi if you need counseling or litigation in this area of law. 

SPOGNARDI BAIOCCHI llp is a law firm dedicated to partnering with companies of all sizes to address the full spectrum of legal concerns for its business.  Our commitment is to find common sense solutions that fit each clients' unique situation to labor, employment, human resources and general business needs. 


 
With over 50 combined years of experience among its 2 founding partners in these areas, we can assist businesses in developing custom solutions to today's tough issues.  And as litigators, who combined have over thousands of trials  "under their belts" before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies (such as the NLRB) you will find no better advocate and partner. 

 

For more information on the firm, please go to our website at www.psb-attorneys.com or Lisa at lab@psb-attorneys.com