Happy new year! It’s 2019, and a new year means new laws, many voted on last November, now take effect. Do you know what has changed? It’s time to find out.
Sexual Discrimination
Big among the new laws are sexual discrimination laws, boosted by the #MeToo movement and the sexual predation it brought to light. For example, California rings in the new year with an anti-discrimination law requiring that corporate boards have a predetermined percentage of women.
Across the U.S., many states have put in place laws that require on-the-job training for anti-discrimination and anti-harassment. It remains unclear, as yet, who decides what that training entails and whether the employer or the state will select the content. That means a bit of legal know-how might empower your position. If you are unclear about the legality of the training you receive, showing any workplace handouts to your personal lawyer might prove a wise step.
Social Media and The Internet
Another battlefront that has been gaining momentum involves the internet. Net neutrality suffered a blow, leaving the providers the right to charge users per usage. California struck back with legislation to reinstate that neutrality. The progress has stalled in both directions until courts resolve lawsuits on the matter.
In Vermont, employers can no longer ask for employee social media accounts. That strikes against misuse of that information toward judging the beliefs of those employees during application or regular employment.
The hottest legal fire, however, is yet to come and that one involves online privacy. With internet end user and state lawmakers on one side and corporations like Facebook, Google, and Amazon on the other, you will likely see that debate appear on the evening news in 2019. For now, state lawmakers have stepped in to force companies to disclose when they experience data breaches. Although those laws protect you, many put the time limit to inform you at 45 days, long after any damages might occur. Whether or not you can sue regarding such data breaches depends on your state.
New Laws in Ohio
Here in Ohio, two big changes arrive in the areas of employment and family law.
Ohio Minimum Wage
Minimum wage sees a new boost in 2019 for Ohioans. While the 25 cent increase is good news, some have frowned at its disparity to the raises in other states, namely California, which has pushed for $15 minimum wages. With any wage increase comes, as always, the watchful eye on paid overtime. While some employers attempt to save money by not paying such overtime, the law requires them to do so.
Ohio Family Law Changes
If you are a divorced person, you will probably pay support or your taxes differently for 2019 and after. According to the Marietta Times, if you have custody of a child for more than 90 days of the year, you will pay 10% less in child support. For divorced individuals paying or receiving spousal support, the tax laws have changed. Payers will not claim the monies paid as a deduction and receivers will not mark the monies received as income.
Living with the New Laws Taking Effect in 2019
Plenty of other new national and local laws passed into effect for 2019. For the most part, the new laws passed into reality for 2019 follow common sense and national trends. The best practice, as always, is to learn about those changes ahead of time to keep yourself legally protected. If you ever have questions about those laws, let us know.
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