Clarifies that all employment contracts, written and oral, consist both express and implied covenants of good faith and fair dealing; eliminates at-will employment; provides that employees may only be fired for just cause; requires paid breaks during the workday; eliminates the subminimum wage for tipped employees; prohibits employer discrimination or retaliation if employees disclose wage information; creates Ombud's Office to review State employee workplace complaints; requires Ombud's Office to educate State employees about workplace rights and train supervisors and employees in dispute resolution; protects State contract employees and defines prohibited forms of mistreatment; provides whistleblower protections to State contract employees; penalizes violations of contract employee protections; allows cities and counties to adopt a local minimum wage; allows localities to set workplace safety standards equal to or greater than State and federal requirements.

Prohibits employers, including nonprofits, from using restricting employment agreements with employees or independent contracts, including non-competition agreements, no-business agreements, non-solicitation agreements, no-recruit agreements, payment-for-competition agreements, training-repayment agreements, and certain types of confidentiality agreements.

Prohibits employers, including nonprofits, from discriminating against employees because of pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy related conditions.

Require that any legislation establishing new “health insurance mandates” for private health insurance, including health plans offered by nonprofits or the State Health Plan, must repeal an equivalent number of existing “health insurance mandates.”

Ratifies the governor's executive order providing unemployment relief for individuals and employers affected by Hurricane Helene; increases maximum weekly unemployment benefits; ensures nonprofits and other employers will not be charged for Hurricane Helene-related unemployment claims of their employees; offers an unemployment tax credit for 2025 for employers that would be equal to the amount of unemployment taxes they paid in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Appropriates $35 million for subsidized child care; increases the child care subsidy for children up to age 18.

Raises minimum wage from $6.15 to $18 per hour by 2030, with inflation adjustment thereafter.

Raises the minimum wage from $6.15 to $22 per hour by 202, adjusted for inflation thereafter; requires employers, including nonprofits, to provide paid sick leave of up to 32 hours per year for small employers with 10 or fewer employees and up to 56 hours per year for other employers; reinstates the state earned income tax credit; permits paid sick leave to be used to care for a family member, an employee's own physical or mental health, or in response to sexual violence; requires a heat exposure safety plan; establishes a state 100% tax credit for child and dependent care expenses up to 100% for couples with an AGI of $75,000 or less; and increases the maximum amount and duration of unemployment benefits.

Requires sick leave be permitted to be used for care for a family member; companion to S.458.

Appropriates $50,000,000 from the General Fund to continue the compensation grants portion of child care stabilization grants through the fourth quarter at the current 2024-2025 level.