New workplace and employment laws took effect October 1.

Here’s what you need to know:

The District 
DC’s family paid leave program now offers private sector employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave, that’s an additional 4 weeks, and employees who need to care for a family member or take medical leave will now qualify for 12 weeks of paid leave, up from 6 weeks.

The Non-Compete Clarification Amendment Act of 2022 restricts DC employers from entering into non-compete agreements with employees earning less than $150,000.

Maryland

Data breach notification standards for businesses now require a business to inform a consumer that their personal information was compromised within 45 days of discovering the breach. The law follows a multi-year effort by the Association and credit unions to replace ambiguous language that essentially gave businesses months, or even years to notify consumers of a breach.

Another law clarifies that credit unions may share information related to financial exploitation cases being investigated by adult protective services. Credit unions are protected against liability when sharing the information requested.

The standard for sexual harassment is no longer required to be “severe or pervasive,” but instead looks at the “totality of the circumstances.” The conduct at issue must “unreasonably create a working environment that a reasonable person would perceive to be abusive or hostile.” Credit unions should review their sexual harassment policies and procedures to ensure employees and supervisors are properly trained and updated.