Articles About Puerto Rico Labor And Employment Law

The Puerto Rico Women’s Advocate Office has published Guidelines for the Establishment of Nursing Rooms with the purpose of ensuring uniformity and setting forth all aspects employers should consider when establishing a nursing room in the workplace.

On February 11, 2021, the Women’s Advocate Office (WAO) published Guidelines on the Acclimatization of Lactation Rooms (Guidelines), which apply to both public- and private-sector employers.

On February 3, 2021, the Puerto Rico Department of Labor (PR DOL) published the “Guidelines on Workplace Harassment in Puerto Rico’s Private Sector” (Guidelines). The Guidelines were drafted pursuant to the mandate in Section 14 of Act No.

The Puerto Rico Department of Labor (PRDOL) has issued Guidelines and a sample protocol for employers to follow in complying with Puerto Rico’s prohibition against workplace bullying, Act 90-2020.

On January 20, 2021, the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda, commonly known as “Hacienda”) issued Administrative Determination No. 21-01 (AD 21-01), which provides that lump-sum distributions from the retirement plan for Puerto Rico government employees are eligible for direct and indirect rollovers into Puerto Rico–qualified retirement

Last year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Congress and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda) granted favorable tax treatment to coronavirus-related distributions (CRDs) and participant loans from U.S.-qualified plans and Puerto Rico-qualified plans, respectively. Recently, both jurisdictions extended similar tax treatment to certain distributions, hardship

Almost a year into the pandemic, a question that plagues the minds of many employers is how to reintegrate employees who have been exposed to COVID-19, while simultaneously safeguarding the wellbeing of coworkers and clients. The debate centers around whether employers can require employees to provide a negative COVID-19

On November 16, 2020, the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (“PR DOL”) issued Circular Letter No. 2020-05, discussing considerations for private sector employers when requesting an exemption from paying the Christmas Bonus to their employees where the employer received COVID-19-related economic assistance.

All of the recent changes to the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules of Section 401(a)(9) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, except for provisions related to the handling of tax-free rollovers, may be applied to Puerto Rico participants in dual-qualified plans (i.e., U.S.-qualified retirement plans that cover both U.S. and

Additional measures adopted by the Puerto Rico Department of Health to manage the COVID-19 pandemic include administrative fines for noncompliance.

Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez has signed Executive Order 2020-062 (EO) to extend most of the prior COVID-19 pandemic limitations and restrictions, institute important additional restrictions, set a mandatory Sunday lockdown, and require employers to notify the Puerto Rico Department of Health by email of any employee who is suspected of having COVID-19 or who has tested positive to COVID-19. The EO will be in effect from August 22, 2020, to September 11, 2020.

On August 8, 2020, Wanda Vázquez Garced signed into law an amendment to the Puerto Rico Working Mothers Act. Under the amendment, adoption leave benefits were extended to female employees adopting minors 6 years old or older. Now, these adopting mothers will have a paid leave of 5 weeks. The

Article II, Section 1, of the Puerto Rico Constitution’s Bill of Rights prohibits “discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, birth, origin or social status, or political or religious ideas.” In Garib Bazain v.

Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez recently signed into law Puerto Rico’s new Electoral Code, Act No. 58 of June 20, 2020 (Act No. 54-2020). The Electoral Code includes noteworthy changes to employees’ voting rights.

On August 8, 2020, Puerto Rico Governor Hon. Wanda Vázquez Garced signed into law House Bill No. 2424 (“Bill No. 2424”), to amend the Puerto Rico Working Mothers Protection Act, otherwise known as Act 3 of March 13, 1942 (“Act No. 3-1942”). The purpose of Bill No. 2424 is