Legal Updates

Colorado Prohibits Employers from Retaining Employees’ Identification Documents

Effective immediately, Colorado has enacted House Bill 26-1283, creating new protections against the confiscation or retention of workers’ government-issued identification documents. The law imposes new restrictions on employers, establishes notice and recordkeeping requirements related to Form I-9 verification, and creates ... Read More

Massachusetts Announces Changes to PFML Contribution Structure for 2027

Massachusetts has announced changes to the way Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) contributions may be allocated between employers and covered individuals beginning January 1, 2027, as new Massachusetts legislation (Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026) shifts employer contributions ... Read More

Washington Supreme Court Invalidates Minimum Wage Act Exemption for Live-In Caregivers

On July 9, 2026, the Washington Supreme Court issued a significant employment law decision in Bolina v. AssureCare Adult Home LLC, holding that Washington’s former exemption from minimum wage protections for certain live-in workers violates the Washington Constitution. The ruling ... Read More

New York City Finalizes Rules Implementing Expanded ESSTA Leave Requirements

New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has adopted final rules under the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) that take effect July 23, 2026. The final rules follow significant ESSTA amendments that became effective in ... Read More

EEOC Releases Draft Strategic Plan for FY 2026–2030

The EEOC has released a draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2026–2030 for public comment. The plan establishes the agency’s enforcement, outreach, and operational priorities for the next four fiscal years and provides insight into how the EEOC intends to ... Read More

Minnesota Adopts New Earned Sick and Safe Time Rules

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has adopted new administrative rules providing additional guidance and clarification regarding the state’s Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law. The rules establish new standards that employers must follow when administering ESST ... Read More

California Aligns State Arbitration Law with Federal Arbitration Act Exclusions

Effective January 1, 2027, California’s Assembly Bill 2155 amends the California Arbitration Act to provide that arbitration agreements are unenforceable under California law to the same extent they are unenforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The legislation is intended ... Read More

New Jersey Enacts Employer Medicaid Fee Law

On June 30, 2026, New Jersey enacted bill A5324 (P.L. 2026, c.23), establishing a new employer assessment designed to help offset state Medicaid costs. The law requires certain employers whose workers and dependents receive Medicaid coverage to pay annual fees ... Read More

Virginia’s New Criminal Record Sealing Law Takes Effect

On July 1, 2026, Virginia launched a sweeping criminal record sealing framework that expands the categories of records eligible for automatic or petition-based sealing. The changes are expected to have an impact on employers that conduct background checks or consider ... Read More

EEOC Rescinds Longstanding Affirmative Action Guidance

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind two longstanding agency policy documents addressing affirmative action under Title VII: “Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” and the ... Read More

South Carolina Creates New Civil Air Patrol Leave Entitlement

Effective October 1, 2026, South Carolina’s Senate Bill 1043, the Civil Air Patrol Leave Act, creates a new job-protected leave entitlement for employees who serve as members of the Civil Air Patrol. The law applies to both public and private ... Read More

Maine Expands Restrictions on Noncompete Agreements for Health Care Practitioners

Effective July 13, 2026, Maine’s L.D. 2200, An Act Relating to Noncompete Agreements Between Employers and Health Care Practitioners, expands the state’s regulation of noncompete agreements in the health care sector. The law applies to all noncompete agreements entered into ... Read More