Winter 2020 HR Compliance Calendar
Select the state(s) in which your employees work for a summary of compliance requirements that took effect recently or will take effect soon.
Note: This Compliance Calendar covers January 1, 2020 minimum wage increases for all applicable states and some larger U.S. cities. Check your state and local laws to confirm compliance.
January 1, 2020
- New overtime rule takes effect. The minimum salary required to be exempt from overtime increased. Learn more.
- New W-4 must be used. The Internal Revenue Service released a new version of Form W-4 for 2020. All new hires first paid after 2019 must complete the new form. Additionally, if existing employees wish to adjust their withholding after 2019, they must use the new form.
- Spending bill changes. The President signed into law spending bills that repeal certain Affordable Care Act (ACA) taxes, provide incentives for businesses to offer retirement plans, and extend tax credits that were scheduled to expire.
January 15, 2020
- The DOL clarifies "regular rate of pay" for calculating overtime pay. The final rule clarifies which perks and benefits to include when calculating an employee's regular rate of pay for overtime purposes.
March 16, 2020
- The DOL's joint employer rule takes effect. The Department of Labor issued new guidelines to assess whether a joint-employer relationship exists in certain situations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
January 1, 2020
- Alaska increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $10.19 per hour.
- Alaska increases salary requirement for overtime exemptions. The state's minimum salary requirement for the administrative, professional, and executive exemptions increases to $815.20 per week.
January 1, 2020
- Arizona increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Arkansas increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $10.00 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- California increases minimum wage.
- Employers with 26 or more employees: $13.00 per hour.
- Employers with less than 26 employees: $12.00 per hour.
- San Diego increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $13.00 per hour.
- San Jose increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $15.25 per hour.
- Oakland increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $14.14 per hour.
- California increases salary requirement for overtime exemptions. The state's minimum weekly salary requirements for the administrative, professional, and executive exemptions increase as follows:
- Employers with 26 or more employees: $1,040 per week.
- Employers with less than 26 employees: $960 per week.
- California expands use of ABC test for independent contractors. If a worker fails to satisfy one or more parts of the state's ABC test, they must be classified and treated as an employee.
- California expands employee voting protections. Employers are prohibited from requiring or requesting that an employee bring their vote-by-mail ballot to work or complete their vote-by-mail ballot at work.
- California requires new notice for flexible spending accounts. Employers must notify participants of any deadline to withdraw funds before the end of the plan year using at least two different mediums (email, phone, text message, mail, or in-person), one of which may be electronic.
- California amends rules for reporting serious workplace injuries. Employers must immediately report a serious workplace injury, illness, or death by telephone or a specified online mechanism established by the state.
- California bans hairstyle discrimination. Employers may not discriminate against or harass applicants and employees because of hair texture and hairstyles that are historically associated with race.
- California expands paid sick leave for certain workers. Providers of in-home supportive services will be entitled to 16 hours or two days, whichever is more, of paid sick leave per year. Previously, these workers were entitled to 8 hours of paid sick leave per year.
- California expands human trafficking training requirements. Hotels and motels are required to provide 20 minutes of classroom or other interactive training on human trafficking awareness to certain employees. Training must be completed by January 1, 2020 for all employees hired before July 1, 2019, and within six months of hire for those employed after July 1, 2019. The training is also required every two years.
- California amends organ donation leave requirements. In addition to providing up to 30 days of paid leave for organ donation, employers with 15 or more employees must give an additional unpaid leave of absence, not exceeding 30 days in a one-year period for organ donation.
- California adds new rules for lactation accommodations. Employers must develop and implement a policy on lactation accommodations, and lactation rooms must meet certain new requirements. Additionally, a denial of reasonable break time or adequate space to express milk will be considered a failure to provide a rest period in accordance with state law.
January 1, 2020
- Colorado increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
- Denver, CO increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.85 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Florida increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $8.56 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Illinois increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $9.25 per hour.
- Illinois clarifies tipping rules. The law makes clear that tips are the property of the employee, and employers are prohibited from keeping tips.
- Illinois enacts rules for video interviews. Employers that request video interviews and use artificial intelligence to analyze them must notify applicants in advance and obtain their consent to be evaluated.
- Illinois requires sexual harassment training. Employers with employees working in Illinois must provide training on preventing sexual harassment to all employees annually.
- Illinois approves recreational marijuana law. Illinois permits the use of recreational marijuana and offers protections for employees who use marijuana while off duty.
January 1, 2020
- Maine increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour.
- Maine increases salary requirement for overtime exemptions. The state's minimum weekly salary requirement for the administrative, professional, and executive exemptions increases to $692.31 per week.
- Maine restricts use of Social Security Numbers. Employers cannot ask applicants for their Social Security Number on a job application or during the application process unless it's for the purpose of drug testing in accordance with state law and background check requirements.
January 1, 2020
- Maryland increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $11.00 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Massachusetts increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $12.75 per hour.
- Massachusetts decreases some Sunday and holiday premium pay. Retail establishments with seven or more employees (including the owner) must pay a premium of 1.3 times the employee's regular rate (down from 1.4 in 2019) for work on Sundays, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day.
January 31, 2020
- Massachusetts quarterly PFML return is due. For the October 1 to December 31 quarter, employers are responsible for remitting employee and (if applicable) employer contributions to the paid family and medical leave program through MassTaxConnect on or before January 31, 2020.
January 1, 2020
- Michigan increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $9.65 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Minnesota increases minimum wage. The state's minimum wage increases as follows:
- Large employers who earn gross revenues of $500,000 or more: $10.00 per hour.
- Small employers under $500,000 in gross revenues: $8.15 per hour.
- Employees under the age of 18, and workers who are under 20, and are within their first 90 days of employment: $8.15 per hour.
- Duluth, MN requires paid sick leave. Employers with five or more employees must provide paid sick leave to employees.
January 1, 2020
- Missouri increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $9.45 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Montana increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $8.65 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Nevada adds protections for applicants who use marijuana. Apart from certain safety-sensitive positions, employers are generally prohibited from refusing to hire a prospective employee because they submitted to a drug test and the results indicate the presence of marijuana.
- Nevada requires certain employers to offer paid leave. Employers with 50 or more employees in the state must provide paid leave to employees. Employees may use leave for any reason. New employers are exempt from the law for the first two years of operation.
January 1, 2020
- New Jersey increases minimum wage.
- Employers with six or more employees: $11.00 per hour.
- Employers with less than six employees: $10.30 per hour.
- New Jersey bans salary history inquiries. Employers cannot ask about an applicant's pay history or screen, determine compensation and benefits, or refuse to hire an applicant because of their pay history.
March 1, 2020
- New Jersey requires certain employers to offer commuter benefits. Employers with 20 or more employees must offer employees the opportunity to use pre-tax income to purchase qualified commuter benefits.
January 1, 2020
- New Mexico increases minimum wage. The state's minimum wage increases to $9.00 per hour.
- Albuquerque increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $9.35 per hour. However, if employers provide healthcare and/or childcare benefits of at least $2,500 per employee per year the minimum wage is $8.35 per hour.
December 31, 2019
- New York increases minimum wage. The state's minimum wage increases as follows:
- New York City: $15.00 per hour for all New York City employers.
- Fast-food employees (outside of New York City): $13.75 per hour.
- Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties: $13.00 per hour for non-exempt employees.
- Rest of the state: $11.80 per hour.
- New York increases salary requirement for overtime exemptions. The state's minimum weekly salary requirement for the administrative and executive exemptions increases as follows:
- New York City: $1,125.00 per week.
- Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties: $975.00 per week.
- Other NY counties: $885.00 per week.
January 6, 2020
- New York prohibits pay history inquiries. Employers may not ask about an applicant's pay history.
February 8, 2020
- New York State expands its Human Rights Law. The NYSHRL will expand to cover all private employers in New York. Previously, the state's nondiscrimination law only applied to employers with four or more employees.
January 1, 2020
- Ohio increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $8.70 per hour.
March 12, 2020
- Cincinnati restricts pay history inquiries. The ordinance generally prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant's pay history.
January 1, 2020
- Oregon requires notification of employment authorization inspections. Employers must notify employees of an upcoming inspection from a federal agency that requires the employer to provide access to employees' employment verification records.
- Oregon requires reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. Employers with six or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, or other related medical conditions to applicants and employees. Employers must also post notices informing employees of their rights under the law.
March 15, 2020
- Pittsburgh, PA, requires paid sick leave. Employers with 15 or more employees in the city must provide paid sick leave. Employers with fewer than 15 employees in the city may provide unpaid sick leave up to March 15, 2021.
January 1, 2020
- South Dakota increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $9.30 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Vermont increases minimum wage. The minimum wage increases to $10.96 per hour.
January 1, 2020
- Virginia expands wage statement requirements. Employers must provide employees with a written statement each payday that includes certain information. The statement may be in the form of a paystub or online accounting.
January 1, 2020
- Washington increases minimum wage. The state's minimum wage increases to $13.50 per hour.
- Washington paid family and medical leave benefits begin. Eligible employees may begin receiving wage-replacement benefits for absences covered by the state paid family and medical leave program.
- Washington requires certain employers to provide harassment policy and training. Hotels and motels with 60 or more rooms must adopt a sexual harassment policy, provide mandatory training to managers, supervisors, and employees, and provide a panic button to each employee.
- Seattle increases minimum wage. Employers with 500 or fewer employees must pay non-exempt employees at least $15.75 per hour. These employers can meet this requirement by paying no less than $13.50 per hour in wages and contributing at least $2.25 per hour to an employee's medical benefits and/or reported tips.
- Seattle requires commuter benefits. Employers with 20 or more employees must offer employees the opportunity to use pre-tax income to purchase qualified commuter benefits.
