Montana News & Analysis

  • Employers dodge powerful bullet: POWR Act's potential ramifications

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Robert M. Thomas, Holland & Hart, LLP

    Employment law in Colorado has undergone a sea change in the past year, from mandatory sick leave, to new promotional-opportunity posting requirements, to stricter whistleblower laws, and so on. But one bill from the last legislative session that didn't become law (but could have had a tremendous impact on employers) is the Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights (POWR) Act. The legislation would have dramatically increased employers' exposure to discrimination and harassment claims under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA). While the bill stalled in committee, it could potentially return in the future in one form or another.

  • Employers dodge powerful bullet: POWR Act's potential ramifications

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Robert M. Thomas, Holland & Hart, LLP

    Employment law in Colorado has undergone a sea change in the past year, from mandatory sick leave, to new promotional-opportunity posting requirements, to stricter whistleblower laws, and so on. But one bill from the last legislative session that didn't become law (but could have had a tremendous impact on employers) is the Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights (POWR) Act. The legislation would have dramatically increased employers' exposure to discrimination and harassment claims under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA). While the bill stalled in committee, it could potentially return in the future in one form or another.

  • Better Call Saul star's heart attack stirs employer concerns

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Marilyn G. Moran, FordHarrison LLP

    Bob Odenkirk, one of my favorite actors, who plays morally challenged criminal defense attorney Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul, was rushed to an Albuquerque hospital recently after suffering a heart attack on set. Thankfully, he is doing well and recovering at home. Upon reading the news about the heart attack, it got me thinking: How many employers and managers know what to do if an employee experiences a medical emergency on the job?

  • Better Call Saul star's heart attack stirs employer concerns

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Marilyn G. Moran, FordHarrison LLP

    Bob Odenkirk, one of my favorite actors, who plays morally challenged criminal defense attorney Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul, was rushed to an Albuquerque hospital recently after suffering a heart attack on set. Thankfully, he is doing well and recovering at home. Upon reading the news about the heart attack, it got me thinking: How many employers and managers know what to do if an employee experiences a medical emergency on the job?

  • Developing solid employer social media policies

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Andrew R. Alder, Parsons Behle & Latimer

    Social media has played an increasingly prominent role in our daily lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as we've been largely quarantined for months. This is no less true for your employees than for the larger public. Therefore, it's important to develop a solid social media policy so they know your expectations and you can protect your business interests. Read on for more information about recent trends and recommendations.

  • Developing solid employer social media policies

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Andrew R. Alder, Parsons Behle & Latimer

    Social media has played an increasingly prominent role in our daily lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as we've been largely quarantined for months. This is no less true for your employees than for the larger public. Therefore, it's important to develop a solid social media policy so they know your expectations and you can protect your business interests. Read on for more information about recent trends and recommendations.

  • New Mexico outlaws discrimination based on hairstyles, head coverings

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Sarah K. Downey, Jackson Loman Stanford Downey & Stevens-Block, P.C.

    Effective July 1, New Mexico has updated the New Mexico Human Right Act (NMHRA) to extend state law protections to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles and head coverings. In doing so, it joins numerous other states and counties in adopting antidiscrimination measures inspired by the CROWN Act, which stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." By expanding the definition of race, New Mexico rejected the notion that hairstyle is a matter of style rather than a characteristic of race.

  • New Mexico outlaws discrimination based on hairstyles, head coverings

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Sarah K. Downey, Jackson Loman Stanford Downey & Stevens-Block, P.C.

    Effective July 1, New Mexico has updated the New Mexico Human Right Act (NMHRA) to extend state law protections to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles and head coverings. In doing so, it joins numerous other states and counties in adopting antidiscrimination measures inspired by the CROWN Act, which stands for "Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair." By expanding the definition of race, New Mexico rejected the notion that hairstyle is a matter of style rather than a characteristic of race.

  • New Mexico legalizes adult-use recreational marijuana

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Sarah K. Downey, Jackson Loman Stanford Downey & Stevens-Block, P.C.

    Effective June 29, 2021, New Mexico legalized marijuana under the Cannabis Regulation Act (CRA), with limited personal possession and cultivation officially becoming legal for adults 21 and older. New Mexicans can now lawfully possess up to two ounces of cannabis and 16 grams of concentrates and grow as many as six mature plants for personal use. The Act, however, doesn't "prevent or infringe upon the rights of an employer to adopt and implement a written zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of cannabis products." Employers can also still discipline or fire an employee under the influence of (or in possession of) marijuana during work hours or who has a positive marijuana test result indicating any amount of THC. The law doesn't restrict the rights afforded to medical marijuana users under state law.

  • New Mexico legalizes adult-use recreational marijuana

    From: Montana Employment Law Letter | 09/01/2021
    by Sarah K. Downey, Jackson Loman Stanford Downey & Stevens-Block, P.C.

    Effective June 29, 2021, New Mexico legalized marijuana under the Cannabis Regulation Act (CRA), with limited personal possession and cultivation officially becoming legal for adults 21 and older. New Mexicans can now lawfully possess up to two ounces of cannabis and 16 grams of concentrates and grow as many as six mature plants for personal use. The Act, however, doesn't "prevent or infringe upon the rights of an employer to adopt and implement a written zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of cannabis products." Employers can also still discipline or fire an employee under the influence of (or in possession of) marijuana during work hours or who has a positive marijuana test result indicating any amount of THC. The law doesn't restrict the rights afforded to medical marijuana users under state law.