Roundup: Pregnancy and leave; DOL employee contract concerns; Migraines and FMLA; CA independent contractor law; Equity only compensation
Salary.com Compensation and Pay Equity Law Review
Welcome to Salary.com's Compensation and Pay Equity Law Review.
Our editor, employment lawyer Heather Bussing, is tracking legislation, cases, and analysis to give you the latest critical HR topics. She and Kent Plunkett, CEO of Salary.com, also have a new book out on Pay Equity, Get Pay Right: How to Achieve Pay Equity that Works !
This week we're answering the questions:
- Can pregnant employees use paid sick leave for prenatal and related care?
- Why does the DOL care about your employment contract provisions?
- Are migraines a serious health condition for FMLA or a disability under the ADA?
- What do you need to know about California's new law on hiring independent contractors?
- Can you pay an employee only with equity?
- Why is "confounded" my word of the week?
Paid Sick Leave and Pregnancy
Pregnant employees have a lot going on. They need compassion and understanding. And sometimes they also need time off. Make it easy for them wherever you can.They won't ever forget your kindness.
Why the DOL Cares About Contracts
Contracts sound boring, but they're not. Well, okay, a little. But employment contracts are extremely interesting! To me. Sometimes. And the Department of Labor is looking at them too. Why? Because when we get that stack of digital documents to sign when we start a new job, we don't read them. We just sign them.
Migraines and Protected Leave
Migraines can be a serious health condition for FMLA leave and a disability under the ADA. But not always. Here's more on a case where migraines didn't qualify as a serious health condition for FMLA leave.
California's New Independent Contractor Law
California just passed a law that requires work for "professional services" with an independent contractor be in writing, describe the work, set a time for payment, and state the compensation. First, it starts January 1, 2025. Second, it only applies to "professional services," which has a special definition.
You Can't Pay People Only With Equity
A startup decides they can't afford their HR leader and lays them off. After a few days of trying to do further layoffs, the startup calls back and says maybe it needs HR after all and asks if they would come back part time, but it can only pay them in equity. So much to unpack here.
