From today’s Albuquerque Journal:
New Mexico’s new Healthy Workplaces Act takes effect July 1 and will impact thousands of businesses and employees around the state. Here are answers to some basic questions.
Q: What type of employees are covered by the law?
A: All employees who work for private employers in New Mexico, regardless of an employer’s size. Employees covered include part-time and seasonal workers, along with those who perform jobs in people’s homes (unless they are independent contractors). Remote workers and telecommuters are also covered in most cases, as long as they are physically within New Mexico’s borders.
Q: Do independent contractors qualify under the law?
A: They do not. But the law prohibits employers from reclassifying their workers as independent contractors as a way to get around the law.
Q: Does the new law also apply to state and local government employers?
A: No. The law only applies to private employers. An amendment in the bill that would have expanded it to include New Mexico state and local governments was stripped out on the Senate floor before the bill won final approval.
Read the complete story here.