Under Senate Bill 5104, which goes into effect on July 1, 2025, employers may not coerce workers based on immigration status. Coerce is defined as a threat to induct or compel an individual to engage in or abstain from conduct that the individual has a right to refuse under the law.

Expansion of the state’s Paid Family Leave Act will also go into effect on January 1, 2026. It reduces the number of required consecutive hours an employee must take from eight to four. House Bill 1213 also expands the eligibility for job restoration to employers with 25+ employees on January 1, 2026; 15+ employees on January 1, 2027; 8+ employees on January 1, 2028. It also reduces the length-of-service requirement to start receiving paid sick leave to 180 days and eliminates the hours requirement.

Senate Bill 5101 will require employers to offer unpaid leave and safety accommodations to an employee (or the family member of an employee) who is the victim of a hate crime. It is slated to go into effect on January 1, 2026. A hate crime is defined as the commission (or alleged or attempted commission) of a covered offense.

Examples of safety accommodations include a modified work schedule, different workstation, transfer or reassignment, implemented procedure, or changed email address or phone number. Employers must provide accommodations as long as doing so doesn’t cause undue hardship.

This article is informational and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with an employment lawyer or accountant for additional clarification on how these changes impact your company.