Joining 23 other states, Ohio has passed a recreational marijuana law. On November 7, 2023, Ohioans voted to pass an initiative legalizing and regulating the cultivation, sale, purchase, possession, use, and home growth of recreational marijuana. The new law does not require an employer to “accommodate an employee’s use, possession,
Articles Discussing General Topics In Ohio Labor & Employment Law.
Columbus, Ohio, Bans Inquiries Into Applicants’ Salary History
The City of Columbus joins Toledo and Cincinnati as the latest Ohio city to prohibit employers from asking prospective employees about past compensation. Effective March 1, 2024, employers operating in Columbus may not ask about a prospective employee’s wage or salary history. Read more.
Class Actions for Tuition Refunds Based on COVID-19 Pandemic Closure? Ohio Appeals Court Weighs In
College life was just one of the many things affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools around the country were forced to close academic buildings, residence halls, and other campus facilities and to pivot to online instruction to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
What Does S.B. 215, Ohio’s New Firearms Law, Mean for Employers?
Currently, in the state of Ohio, in order to obtain a concealed handgun license, which is valid for five years, an Ohio resident must submit an application to the county sheriff, pay an initial $67 fee, pass a background check, and meet the minimum educational requirements, which include completing eight
Ohio Adopts Provisions of the FLSA to Eliminate Hybrid Actions and to Clarify Compensable Time
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 47 (SB 47) into law on April 6, 2022. SB 47 goes into effect on July 6, 2022 and includes new Ohio Revised Code § 4111.031, which limits an employer’s obligation to pay overtime for certain work-related tasks that occur outside of
Ohio’s Surprise Billing Law – Impact on Health Plans
Ohio’s Surprise Billing Law, R.C. § 3902.51, became effective January 12, 2022, but its impact on health plans is still evolving. The law strives to prevent patients from receiving and paying surprise medical bills, specifically those stemming from unanticipated out-of-network care. While the Ohio Surprise Billing Law intends to shield
Ohio Formally Adopts FLSA’s Portal-to-Portal Act, Collective Action Opt-In Procedure
On April 6, 2022, Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill (S.B.) 47, thereby formally adopting Sections 2 and 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act (PPA) amendments to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In addition, S.B. 47 incorporates the FLSA’s “opt-in” requirement for individuals seeking to join a class (collective)
Ohio Appeals Court Reinforces a Trial Court’s Ability to Modify Noncompete Agreements
In MetroHealth Sys. v. Khandelwal, 2022-Ohio-77, Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s modification of a noncompete agreement between a hospital and a physician formerly employed by the hospital. Both courts reasoned that modifying the agreement, rather than striking it, protected the hospital’s interest.
The disputed
Ohio Introduces CCPA-like Consumer Privacy Bill
Consumer privacy issues are as a hot as ever, and on the radar of the state and federal legislature alike. Following in the footsteps of California, and most recently Virginia and Colorado, Ohio introduced a comprehensive consumer privacy bill, the Ohio Personal Privacy Act (the “Act”). By introducing the Act,
Ohio Decision Highlights Importance of Business Protection Agreements with Independent Contractors
Just as the distinction between an individual’s status as independent contractor versus employee can have serious ramifications for wage, tax, and other legal issues, the same can be true for claims relating to unfair competition. As a recent decision from the Court of Appeals of Ohio highlights, employers must
Ohio COVID-19 Orders Replaced with Order Emphasizing Social Distancing, Masks, Non-Congregating
Although Ohio has not yet attained its goal of reducing COVID-19 cases to 50 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health has rescinded many of the prior orders designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In their place, the director issued a new “Amended Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings and Non-Congregating.”
Ohio Issues Consolidated Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings, and Limits on Gatherings
On April 5, 2021, Director of Ohio’s Department of Health (ODH), Stephanie McCloud, issued two new orders, including a consolidated Director’s Order for Social Distancing, Facial Coverings and Non-Congregating and a Director’s Order Rescinding Various Orders. The orders went into effect on April 5, 2021, and the Order for Social
Ohio’s Employment Law Uniformity Act: New Prerequisites and Defenses for Discrimination Claims
Ohio employment discrimination claims filed on or after April 15, 2021, will be subject to certain prerequisites under the newly enacted Employment Law Uniformity Act (ELUA). Jackson Lewis’ in-depth webinar regarding the ELUA is available here.
The ELUA updates the state’s antidiscrimination statute (Ohio Revised Code § 4112), which has
Ohio Revamps Employment Discrimination Statutes
On January 12, 2021, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill (H.B.) 352, which makes significant and sweeping changes to how employment discrimination claims will be handled in the State of Ohio. H.B. 352 amends pertinent sections of Ohio Revised Code 4112, which contains Ohio’s employment discrimination laws, in
Finally! Ohio Restores its Employment Discrimination Statute
After over 25 years of proposals and negotiations among key stakeholders—including Ohio employers and their supporting associations, the Ohio plaintiffs’ employment law bar, and various employee-rights advocates—on December 22, 2020, the Ohio General Assembly passed sweeping reforms to the state’s employment discrimination statute, R.C. Chapter 4112. Ohio Governor Michael