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.” 

Effective July 1, 2017, Nevada employers must provide a nursing mother of a child less than one year of age reasonable break time, with or without permission and with or without pay, to express breast milk as needed.  

Leave policies that allow employees to take leave to care for or assist their sick biological or adopted children must also allow leave to care for or assist a sick foster child.

The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) finalized new regulations limiting the ability of employers to consider criminal history when making employment decisions.

On April 19, 2017, The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act (“Act”) became law. In addition to permitting patients to use marijuana for medicinal use, the Act contains anti-discrimination and retaliation provision as well as other provisions that impact West Virginia employers.