New State Employment Laws Taking Effect July 1, 2025

Several employment-related laws recently enacted across the United States will come into effect on July 1, 2025, impacting key workplace policies, including minimum wage, paid leave, noncompete clauses, child labor, and scheduling practices. Below is a summary of notable changes by state:

• Alaska: Ballot Measure 1 raises the minimum wage to $13.00 per hour, establishes paid sick leave (one hour for every 30 hours worked), and bans mandatory political or religious meetings in the workplace.
• California (Los Angeles County): A new Fair Workweek Ordinance introduces predictive scheduling rules for retail employers with 300+ employees globally, requiring advanced notice of schedule changes, premium pay, and adequate rest between shifts. Additionally, the minimum wage will rise to $17.87/hour in Los Angeles and $17.81/hour in unincorporated areas of the county.
• Indiana: Senate Bill 409 mandates that employers provide unpaid time off for employees to attend a school attendance or case conference for their child.
• Kansas: Senate Bill 241 clarifies that nonsolicitation agreements with business owners and employees are presumptively enforceable and not considered a restraint on trade.
• New Hampshire: Employers with six or more employees must provide reasonable unpaid break time (about 30 minutes every 3 hours) and a private, non-bathroom space for nursing mothers to express milk for up to one year post-birth.
• Oregon: The state minimum wage will increase to $15.05/hour, with regional adjustments:
• Portland Metro Area: $16.30/hour
• Nonurban Counties: $14.05/hour
• Vermont:
• H.704 requires employers with five or more employees to disclose wage ranges in job postings.
• H.259 mandates hospitals to implement workplace violence prevention plans and a reporting system for incidents.
• Virginia: Employers will be barred from entering noncompete agreements with employees earning less than $76,081/year or those eligible for overtime under FLSA.
• Washington, D.C.: Effective July 1, 2025, the District's minimum wage will increase from $17.50 to $17.95 per hour. The minimum wage for tipped employees will rise to $12.00 per hour. 
• Washington State: Starting July 27, 2025, the state's paid sick leave law will expand to include immigration-related proceedings.
• West Virginia: Senate Bill 427 removes the requirement for 14- and 15-year-olds to obtain work permits. Employers must instead secure an age certificate from the Division of Labor and obtain written parental consent.