New I-9 issued by USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires that all employers have their new employees fill out a Form I-9. A new version of the  I-9 has been issued by the government, of which the most obvious change is the addition of a second page. If employers do not use the new version of the form after May 7, 2013, they will be considered as non-compliant and will be exposing themselves to the possibility of civil, or even criminal, penalties. Current employees do not need to fill out a new I-9 unless they have an event that necessitates re-verification under the
provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The I-9 can be found here: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=31b3ab0a43b5d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=7d316c0b4c3bf110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

Employee Credit Checks

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is now responsible for enforcing the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA),  which was previously a duty of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).This change came under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. This is important for small businesses who perform credit checks on employees, as there are certain forms that the FCRA requires employers and consumer reporting agencies to use when conducting background checks on employees or applicants.  The new forms, which went into effect on January 1, 2013, are available in Appendices K, M and N in Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1022.

Maryland Bans Employers from Requesting Social Media Passwords

From Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5900609/maryland-bans-employers-from-requesting-social-media-passwords-good-job-maryland

Gender Discrimination

On December 5, 2011, Howard County's Council passed a bill protecting individuals from discrimination based on gender identity. Similar legislation was passed in Baltimore County, as well as Baltimore City and Montgomery County. Baltimore Outloud reported that:

"The four council members who voted for the bill were Democrats Mary Kay Sigaty, Jen Terrasa, Calvin Ball (Council Chair) and Courtney Watson. Greg Fox, a Republican from Western Howard County, voted against the measure saying that the federal and state governments should pass a single law that clarifies the definition of public accommodations. The county law, as written, is vague on the definition."

Maryland Senate Bill 212 is designed to provide a comprehensive law protecting gender identity throughout Maryland. The bill prohibits discrimination in public accommodations, housing, and employment and by specified licensed or regulated persons. The bill is not without it's opponents, and at a recent committee hearing, Metro Weekly reported that number of legislators left the room.

Earlier this month, Metro Weekly wrote about the impetus for the Maryland bill:

"Some advocates cited the case of Chrissy Lee Polis, a transgender woman who was savagely beaten after using a restroom in a Baltimore-area McDonald's in Rosedale, Md. in April 2011, as evidence of hostility facing transgender women. Polis's attack was recorded on a cell phone camera and later posted on the Internet, where she was subjected to verbal attacks from online viewers, including the employee who posted the video."