SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog 

The theme for last year’s federal developments was reversal of Obama-era rules. The Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board were especially active in this respect.

After a relatively quiet Supreme Court term for employment law in 2018-19, the stage is set for the court to rule in 2020 on highly anticipated topics. Below is a summary of major federal employment law headlines from last year and a look at what employers can expect in 2020.

While Missouri employers saw few legislative updates that will affect the state of employment law in 2020, the Illinois legislature had a busy year. Below is a look at some of the legislative highlights of 2019 and how they might affect your business in 2020.

Previously, we warned how the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Cannabis Act) will directly impact Illinois employers’ responsibilities and liabilities when drug testing, disciplining or terminating employees because of the use or possession of cannabis.

Then, in December 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed amendments into the Cannabis Act. At first glance, it appears these amendments, Public Act 101-0593, are employer-friendly because they have relieved some of the tension between Illinois’ Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act (Right to Privacy Act) and the Cannabis Act. For example, under the amendments to the Cannabis Act, an employer may retract a job offer based on an applicant’s cannabis use before beginning employment.