Labor & Employment (Labor Standards)

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 27, 2025

HB 367: An Act providing for employee's right to request a flexible working arrangement; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing penalties.

HB 367, the Flexible Working Arrangements Act, gives employees in Pennsylvania with employers of 50+ staff the right to request flexible work options like adjusted hours, remote work, or job sharing once yearly. Employers must consider these requests in good faith, respond in writing if requested, and cannot retaliate - though they may deny requests only if they would harm business operations (e.g., cause excessive costs or disrupt service). The Department of Labor and Industry will enforce the law, issuing warnings for first violations and imposing up to $500 per violation for repeat offenses. The bill does not override existing employment rights or collective bargaining agreements.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentGrants employees right to request flexible work, prohibits retaliation, requires employer consideration - directly protects worker rights under employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards Paid Leave

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 23, 2025

HB 288: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, providing for construction tax credit requirements.

HB 288 amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to add new requirements for construction tax credits, affecting taxpayers making capital expenditures over $25,000 for facility construction or renovation. To qualify for these credits, taxpayers must verify good-faith local hiring efforts and confirm that all workers on the project are paid the prevailing wage rate under Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Act. The Department of Labor and Industry will enforce these rules, requiring pre-construction wage rate determinations and compliance with prevailing wage standards for all new construction jobs. Violations of these requirements could trigger a 10% refund of the awarded tax credit.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates prevailing wage rates and local hiring for construction tax credits, enforcing PA's Prevailing Wage Act to protect worker compensation standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SB 29: An Act prohibiting discrimination against individuals based on unemployment status; providing for powers and duties of the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing a penalty.

SB 29, the Fair Chance for Employment Act, prohibits employers (including government entities and businesses with 5+ employees) from considering an applicant's unemployment status when making hiring or pay decisions. The law explicitly bans using current or recent joblessness as a factor, though it allows employers to require specific licenses, education, or experience as job qualifications. Violations can result in a $500 penalty assessed by the Department of Labor and Industry after an investigation. The bill takes effect 90 days after passage and directly affects job applicants and employers across Pennsylvania.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePromotes employment access for formerly incarcerated individuals, reducing recidivism - a key criminal justice reform goal.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits unemployment status discrimination in hiring/pay, protecting workers' rights and expanding fair employment opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Employment Discrimination Labor Standards Unemployment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 30, 2025

HB 421: An Act protecting workers from training repayment agreement provisions; conferring powers and imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing penalties.

HB 421 prohibits Pennsylvania employers from requiring employees to sign training repayment agreements as a condition of employment. The bill directly affects workers who might otherwise be forced to repay training costs if they leave a job, excluding government employers and agreements under collective bargaining. It makes such agreements void and unenforceable, with the Department of Labor and Industry empowered to investigate violations. Employers violating the law face civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, increasing to $25,000 per affected employee for repeat offenses. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employer-mandated training repayment agreements, directly protecting workers' rights from financial penalties upon job separation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Apprenticeships Labor Standards Workforce Development

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 567: An Act providing for assumption of employment relationship, for terms of yearly employment contract, for prohibition on waivers or limitations of employment protections, for elements of wrongful discharge, for remedies for wrongful discharge and for probationary period of employment.

HB 567, the "Employment Clarification Act," proposes ending Pennsylvania's at-will employment doctrine by presuming all employment relationships are yearly contracts requiring "good cause" for termination. It directly affects employers with 15+ employees in Pennsylvania, prohibiting waivers of employment protections and defining "good cause" to include gross incompetence, felonies, or financial exigency. Key provisions establish that employees can only be fired for specific, job-related reasons (not arbitrary decisions), define "constructive discharge" (when intolerable conditions force resignation), and require employers to provide remedies for wrongful termination. The bill aims to shift bargaining power toward employees while giving employers clearer termination standards under state law.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnds at-will employment, requires 'good cause' for termination, and prohibits waivers of worker protections for employers with 15+ employees.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Feb 26, 2025

SB 341: An Act amending the act of July 14, 1961 (P.L.637, No.329), known as the Wage Payment and Collection Law, further providing for definitions; providing for duty of department to report; further providing for civil remedies and penalties, for liquidated damages and for criminal penalties; providing for employer liability; and establishing the Wage Enforcement Fund.

SB 341 strengthens Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law by expanding the definition of "employer" to include the Commonwealth, local governments, and public authorities, ensuring all public and private employers are covered. It requires the Department of Labor to collect and report quarterly data on wage violations, unpaid wages, and investigations to lawmakers and the public, and mandates quarterly reviews of "high violation industries" (those with 25+ violations in two years). The bill increases penalties for wage theft to $2,000 per violation or triple unpaid wages, whichever is greater, and adds stronger protections against employer retaliation for workers who file complaints or cooperate with investigations. These changes directly affect all employers in Pennsylvania and workers owed unpaid wages.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands employer coverage to public entities, mandates wage violation reporting, and establishes Wage Enforcement Fund - strengthening worker wage protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Feb 26, 2025

SB 321: An Act relating to transfers of operations, terminations of operations, mass layoffs and changes in control.

SB 321, the Mandatory Severance for Mass Layoffs Act, requires employers with 50+ employees to provide severance pay and advance notice when shutting down a facility, transferring operations, or laying off 50+ workers within 30 days. It mandates 90 days' notice (or federal requirements if longer) to employees, the state labor department, and local officials before such events. Severance pay equals one week of average pay per full year of employment, with an additional four weeks if notice is shorter than required. This applies to most full-time employees but excludes managers, temporary workers, and part-timers working under 20 hours weekly.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates severance pay (1 week avg pay/year) and 90-day notice for mass layoffs/shifts, directly protecting workers' financial security and rights during employment transitions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Unemployment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 11, 2025

HB 884: An Act establishing the Four-Day Workweek Pilot Program; providing for tax credits to qualifying employers; and imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry and the Department of Revenue.

HB 884 establishes Pennsylvania's Four-Day Workweek Pilot Program, allowing private and public employers to test a four-day workweek for at least 30 employees without pay or benefit cuts. Employers participating must apply to the Department of Labor and Industry, submit a transition plan, and allow the department to study impacts through surveys. Qualifying employers receive tax credits of either $250,000 per business or $5,000 per participating employee, capped at $15 million total annually. The program requires the Department of Labor and Revenue to coordinate administration, study outcomes, and encourage public-sector adoption, with the pilot set to expire after its initial implementation period.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credits to qualifying employers ($250k/business or $5k/employee), reducing tax burden as state-funded incentive for pilot program.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnsures no pay/benefit cuts for four-day workweek pilot, provides tax credits to incentivize adoption, directly protects worker compensation and supports flexible work standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 560: An Act amending the act of December 17, 1959 (P.L.1913, No.694), known as the Equal Pay Law, providing for pay ranges.

HB 560 amends Pennsylvania's Equal Pay Law to require employers with 15 or more employees to disclose pay ranges for job postings and internal transfer or promotion opportunities. Specifically, employers must provide the pay range to job applicants when a position is advertised and to current employees considered for internal moves. The bill also mandates that employers give new hires and update annually in writing the pay range for the employee's job title and for substantially similar positions within the company. This amendment, which would take effect 60 days after enactment, aims to increase pay transparency under the existing Equal Pay Law.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates pay range disclosure to combat wage discrimination, strengthening equal pay protections for workers under Pennsylvania's Equal Pay Law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SB 487: An Act providing for notification of wage theft and for protection for employees who report wage theft; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; establishing the Wage Theft Notification and Protection Restricted Account; and imposing penalties and other relief.

SB 487, the Wage Theft Notification and Protection Act, requires employers in Pennsylvania to provide employees with a plain-language summary of wage theft examples, reporting procedures, and anti-retaliation protections. Employers must post this summary visibly at workplaces or make it electronically accessible within 90 days of hiring or the law's effective date. The bill prohibits retaliation against employees who report wage theft and imposes $500 civil penalties for failing to provide the required notice or comply with posting rules. Funds from these penalties will support enforcement through a newly created Wage Theft Notification and Protection Restricted Account. The law directly affects employers across all sectors and strengthens protections for workers reporting unpaid wages under existing state labor laws.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires employer notification of wage theft rights, prohibits retaliation, imposes $500 penalties for non-compliance - directly protects workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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