Aspen Highlights & Updates
Celebrating Four Years of Award-Winning Excellence – For four consecutive years, Aspen HR has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies and received the ‘Best Place for Working Parents’ award. These achievements are a testament to our ongoing commitment to our team, their families, and our mission of delivering tangible value to our clients!
Upcoming Industry Events – We’re looking forward to attending several major events in September! Find us at the ISF Deal Series Chicago for vetted capital providers and independent sponsors on September 10th, Sadis & Goldberg’s Earnout Private Credit Symposium on September 11th, and iGlobal Forum’s 19th Independent Sponsors Summit on September 29th. Reach out if you’ll be attending any of these so we can connect!
Partner Spotlight
New Aspenites
HR and Legal Alerts!
California Publishes Required Victim Leave Notice – California expanded its victim protection leave law and added a new notice requirement for employers of all sizes. Although the notice requirement took effect July 1, 2025, employers weren’t required to comply until the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) released a model notice. Employers need to provide this notice:
- To new employees upon hire
- To all employees annually
- At any time upon request
- Any time an employee informs the employer that they or their family member is a victim
Aspen has already updated the California State New Hire Onboarding packet to include the model notice. A copy of the FAQs can be found here.
Nevada Breastfeeding Expanded Protections – Effective Date July 1, 2025, establishments considered “places of public accommodation” may not discriminate against individuals for breastfeeding. Discriminatory actions such as denying entry, limiting services, requesting relocation, or treating individuals differently based on breastfeeding are expressly prohibited. While this law directly targets businesses operating public accommodations rather than private employers, it’s prudent for HR and legal teams to review organizational policies and educate front-line staff to understand and respond to breastfeeding in public places.
Rhode Island: New Workplace Laws for Menopause – Effective June 24, 2025, Rhode Island is the first state to explicitly require employers with four or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for menopause or related medical conditions (e.g., hot flashes, night sweats), unless doing so causes undue hardship. Employers must ensure that employees are not denied opportunities due to accommodation needs. They must post an updated notice in the workplace, provide it to new hires at the start, and to current employees within 120 days—or within 10 days of notification of menopause symptoms.
Rhode Island Onboarding Notice – Effective January 1, 2026, Employers must provide all new hires with a written notice (in English) outlining:
- Their rate(s) of pay and the basis (e.g., hourly, salary, commission), and any additional rates;
- Claimed meal/lodging allowances;
- Employer policies on sick, vacation, personal leave, holidays, and hours;
- Employment status and exemption status for minimum wage/overtime;
- Potential payroll deductions;
- Pay schedule details and first payday;
- Legal and operating names of the business, physical (and mailing) addresses, and phone number.
Colorado Ban on Non-competes and Non-Solicits for Healthcare Employees – Effective August 6, 2025, Colorado prohibits most restrictive covenants for a wide range of healthcare providers—addressing both non‑compete and customer non‑solicit provisions in employment agreements entered into or renewed on or after August 6, 2025. This new law is not retroactive, so it will not affect any restrictive covenants executed prior to August 6, 2025.
The ban will apply to these licensed professionals:
- Physicians (MDs/DOs) and physician assistants
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
- Certified Midwives
- Dentists
Please reach out to local legal counsel for review of any non-compete or non-solicit agreements.
Missouri Paid Sick Leave Appealed – Effective August 28, 2025, employers are no longer required to provide employees with paid sick leave.
Oregon Hiring Protection Laws – Effective September 28, 2025, employers will no longer be permitted to ask job applicants for their age, date of birth, or attendance or graduation dates from educational institutions before an initial interview or a conditional offer. Exceptions for bona fide occupational qualifications, such as roles requiring a specific age for legal or performance reasons, are very limited. Employers should review their employment application software to ensure compliance.
Illinois Paid Military Funeral Honors Detail Leave – Effective August 1, 2025, employers with 51 or more employees must provide funeral honors detail leave. This leave is available to an employee who has been employed by the same employer for at least 12 months and has provided at least 1,250 hours of service during the 12-month period immediately preceding the leave. Eligible employers must provide up to 40 hours of paid leave for eligible employees when serving on a funeral honors detail. This leave is in addition to other paid leave an employer already provides to its employees, whether due to legal requirements (e.g., under the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act) or as a voluntary company benefit.
Have questions? Don’t hesitate to contact our team.