On May 27, 2025, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed into law Bill No. 250065 —titled, the “Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights (POWER) Act”—which took effect immediately. The POWER Act amends Title 9 of the Philadelphia Code related to paid sick leave, wage theft, domestic worker protections, fair workweek law,
Articles Discussing General Topics In Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Law.
Pennsylvania Moves Closer to $15 Minimum Wage as Bill Advances to Senate
TakeawaysThe bill aims to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour in the most populous counties starting in 2026, while providing lesser increases in smaller counties.The tipped minimum wage would also increase to 60 percent of the new minimum wages.Annual adjustments based on the CPI would start in 2029.Related linkHouse Bill 1549 Article
The POWER Act: Strengthening Worker Protections
On May 27, 2025, Philadelphia enacted the Protect Our Workers, Enforce Rights Act (“POWER Act”), amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code as it pertains to the following sections: “Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces,” “Wage Theft Complaints,” “Protections for Domestic Workers,” “Protecting Victims of Retaliation,” and “Enforcement of Worker Protection
District Court Upholds Browsewrap Agreements in Pennsylvania Wiretap Class Action
Online retailer Harriet Carter Gifts recently obtained summary judgment from the district court in a class action under Pennsylvania wiretap law. At the heart of this case is the interpretation and application of the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act of 1978 (WESCA), a statute designed to regulate the
Federal Judge in Pennsylvania Reverses Dismissal of Medical Marijuana Cardholder’s Disability Discrimination Claim
On April 11, 2025, a federal judge for the U.S. Western District of Pennsylvania reversed his recent decision to dismiss a disability discrimination claim from a job applicant with a medical marijuana card who alleged he had a job offer rescinded following a pre-employment drug screen.
Pennsylvania Federal Court Follows State Ruling That Medical Marijuana Use Is Not a Disability Under State Law
A Pennsylvania federal court recently ruled that a job applicant who had a job offer rescinded could not allege disability discrimination under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) for medical marijuana use as a matter of law. The ruling could be the first instance of a federal court adopting a
Pittsburgh Ordinance Bans Tests for Many Prospective and Current Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana
On September 24, 2024, the Pittsburgh City Council passed a new ordinance prohibiting discrimination against an individual’s status as a medical marijuana patient. Mayor Ed Gainey signed the ordinance the same day, making it effective immediately.
Pittsburgh to Limit Employers’ Ability to Drug-Test Medical Marijuana Patients
The Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against medical marijuana patients in the workplace and limiting certain types of marijuana drug testing by employers as to these patients. Mayor Ed Gainey is expected to sign the measure and it will take effect immediately after signing.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Bans Healthcare Practitioner Noncompete Agreements Longer Than 1 Year
In a major noncompete development for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, beginning January 1, 2025, certain noncompete agreements with doctors, registered nurses, and other healthcare practitioners will no longer be enforceable in Pennsylvania.
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Jumps on Ban-the-Box Trend With New Human Relations Ordinance
The Board of Commissioners in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, has passed the Lehigh County Human Relations Ordinance to ensure equal opportunities for all individuals concerning employment, housing, education, healthcare, and public accommodations, without regard to actual or perceived protected characteristics. The Ordinance includes restrictions on employers’ use and reliance on an applicant’s background information in making a hiring decision.
Philadelphia Mayor’s Mandate Requiring Return to In-Person Work Prevails in Court of Common Pleas
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s mandate requiring City of Philadelphia remote workers to return to their offices took effect on July 15, 2024, following the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge’s denial of a local union’s request for preliminary and permanent injunction. In her capacity as chief executive of the government of
5 City Ordinances Every Employer With Employees in Philadelphia Should Know
The City of Philadelphia maintains several employment-specific ordinances that enhance preexisting state and federal employee protections or create new employment rights. Some of these apply even if the employer has only one employee in Philadelphia.
School’s Out for the Summer: Ensuring Compliance when Employing Minors in Pennsylvania
There are restrictions and prohibitions related to employing minors in Pennsylvania, including impermissible occupations and establishments for which minors cannot work, and limitations on hours of work under the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act (CLA).
Does the Statute of Limitations Ever Apply in Pennsylvania Legal Malpractice Claims?
That’s the question on the minds of many in the legal malpractice community after a noteworthy decision in Pennsylvania.
Employers Face June 1, 2024 Deadline to Comply with Lehigh County, Pennsylvania’s New Expansive Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
The Lehigh County Human Relations Ordinance was enacted February 26, 2024, establishing county-specific non-discrimination requirements for employment, housing, education, health care and public accommodations. The ordinance also creates a Lehigh County Human Relations Commission charged with investigating and enforcing claims of discrimination. The ordinance becomes effective June 1, 2024.
Expanded