Uber, Lyft Wage Theft Settlement; Passage of COVID-19 Vaccine Ban in TX & More

Uber, Lyft Reach $328M Wage Theft Settlement with NY

Uber and Lyft agreed to pay a combined $328 million to settle wage theft claims in New York. The state attorney general’s office said the ridesharing companies improperly deducted sales tax and contributions to a driver injury fund from their drivers’ pay and also failed to provide paid sick leave as required by state and local law. (PLURIBUS NEWS, SHRM)

TX Legislature Passes COVID-19 Vaccine Ban

In their 3rd special session of the year, Texas lawmakers passed a bill (SB 7 c) that, if signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), would bar private employers from requiring their workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The version of the bill sent to Abbott includes a $50,000 fine for employers that punish workers who refuse vaccination, up from the $10,000 fine in the original version of the measure. (KXAN, TEXAS TRIBUNE, STATE NET)

Nov Ballot Measures with Implications for Employers

Ohio voters will weigh two ballot measures on Nov. 7 that could impact employer policies.

Issue 2 would legalize recreational use of marijuana.

“That does very much affect employers because employers are still struggling to find the right landing place on their policies as far as off-duty marijuana use by their employees and what efforts they want to make to govern marijuana use outside of the workplace,” said Leon Rodriguez, an attorney at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Washington, D.C.

Another measure on the Ohio ballot, Issue 1, would give residents control over their own reproductive decisions, including abortion. Rodriquez said that based on the outcome of the measure, employers in the state will “need to determine if there are any changes they need to make to their employee coverage for abortion.”

A pair of ballot measures slated for California’s ballot next year could have a big impact on employers in that state. One would raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour. The other would repeal the Private Attorneys General Act, which allows employees to sue their employers over alleged violations of state labor laws. (SHRM)

MN Family Leave Program Will Cost More than Projected

A new paid family and medical leave program scheduled to launch in Minnesota in 2026 will cost employers and workers about 18% more than previously estimated, according to an actuarial analysis commissioned by the state. The analysis projected much higher benefit and administrative costs than those estimated by the state. (CENTER SQUARE, MINNESOTA REFORMER)

—Compiled by SNCJ Managing Editor KOREY CLARK