Employco Blog

Missouri Sample Paid Sick Leave Notice and Poster Are Available – The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has posted a sample employee notice and workplace poster for the state’s earned paid sick time (EPST) law, currently scheduled to take effect May 1, 2025. Employers must provide notice to workers of their rights under the law by April 15, 2025.

Employers obtain employees’ medical information for various reasons, such as verifying a reasonable accommodation request, certifying leave, or confirming eligibility for disability benefits. At the federal level, there are several laws restricting when employers can ask for employees’ medical information and requiring employers to keep such information confidential. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The ADA is the main federal law that protects employees’ medical information in the workplace. The ADA limits when covered employers can request employees’ medical information (or require medical examinations) and broadly requires all employee medical information to be kept confidential, regardless of why the information was provided. To comply with the ADA, employees’ medical information should be maintained separately from personnel files and only accessible to authorized individuals.

On March 19, 2025, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued joint guidance on illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. The EEOC also issued frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding DEI-related discrimination. The guidance provides some clarity as to the agencies’ position on what may constitute illegal DEI and offers steps employees may take to report violations.

Background – On Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders (EOs) 14151 and 14173, respectively, which seek to terminate all illegal DEI mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities. However, neither EO defines what practices or programs may constitute illegal DEI. The EEOC and DOJ guidance provides some clarity as to the agencies’ positions on illegal DEI.

On April 2, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Employment Eligibility Verification form (Form I-9) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy Notice in the form’s instructions to align with statutory language. The revised Form I-9 is dated “01/20/25” and has an expiration date of “05/31/2027.” Notably, multiple previous editions of Form I-9 remain valid until their respective expiration dates.

Background – The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires all employers, regardless of size, to hire only individuals who may legally work in the United States. To comply with the law, employers must verify each individual’s identity and employment authorization by completing and retaining the Form I-9.

Numerous studies have revealed the importance of employees taking time off work for vacation. Leaving the office for a week or having an occasional day off gives employees a chance to not only take a well-deserved break to relax, but to come back to work with renewed energy and improved productivity.

Traditionally, time off is separated into paid vacation, sick, and personal days. Some companies have transitioned into simply offering paid time off (PTO), which essentially serves as a single “bucket” of time off, which can be used at the employee’s discretion. A less-common option that is slowly gaining more attention, spurred on by popularity among tech company startups, is the unlimited PTO policy.