By: Curry Sexton, Brenda Hamilton, and Mark Opara

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently proposed a new rule that would ban employers from entering into non-competes with workers and require employers to rescind existing non-competes. The FTC is seeking public comment on the proposed rule, which is based on a preliminary finding that non-competes constitute an unfair method of competition and therefore violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Comments on the proposed rule will be due within 60 days of the Federal Register publishing the proposed rule, which is a date to be determined.

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By: Katie Conklin and John Vering

On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law two measures included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 that expand protections for pregnant and nursing employees: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protection for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). The new protections require employers to provide: (1) reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees, effective 180 days after the law’s enactment, or on June 27, 2023; and (2) compensation to breastfeeding employees for “hours worked” during certain lactation breaks, effective 120 days after the law’s enactment, or on April 28, 2023.

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By: Katie Conklin and John Vering

On November 8, 2022, Missourians voted to legalize recreational
marijuana, adopting Amendment 3 to Article XIV of Missouri’s Constitution. In addition to legalizing recreational marijuana, Amendment 3 also creates job protections for medical marijuana use, which Missouri previously legalized in 2018. These changes go into effect on December 8, 2022.

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