Attention Employers: Ice’s Updated Form I-9 Fact Sheet Expands Substantive Violations, Increasing Employer Liability
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has raised the stakes for Form I-9 compliance. Under an updated Form I-9 Inspection fact sheet, employers now face increased exposure to immediate fines. The updated guidance expands the categories of substantive violations and narrows the scope of technical/procedural errors by reclassifying several common Form I-9 deficiencies—previously treated as technical […]
Attention New York Employers: Final Rules on NYC Earned Safe & Sick Time Act Take Effect July 23—Revise those Playbooks for New Compliance Obligations!
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) adopted final rules to implement recent amendments to the New York City Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA). Effective July 23, 2026, the final rules largely adopt the proposed framework but provide additional guidance on administering the expanded leave requirements and add new compliance […]
Attention New York Employers: 2026 Legislative Session Ends with a Bang—New York’s Hottest Employment Bills to Watch
New York lawmakers closed out the 2026 legislative session with several significant workplace bills that turn up the heat on employers’ compliance to-do lists. Collectively, the bills impact nearly every aspect of employment with several expected to take effect immediately upon enactment (and one already enacted and in effect!). Employers need not panic yet—the clock starts […]
Attention New Jersey Employers: NJ Appellate Division Issues Unbe-Leaf-Able Decision—Individuals May Sue Employers for Cannabis-Related Adverse Employment Action
On May 26, 2026, the New Jersey Appellate Division issued a decision in Sanders v. The Levari Group, LLC holding that the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA) implicitly provides a private right of action for individuals subject to adverse employment action based on their cannabis use. This decision may come […]
Attention Employers: DOL Issues Four Opinion Letters Offering Practical Wage & Hour Guidance for Employers
On May 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued four opinion letters addressing a series of hot-button wage and hour issues under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Some topics addressed include the compensability of voluntary off-site meal break travel and pre-shift activities, the treatment of “percentage of total […]
Attention Employers: DEI Legal Developments Spotlight
Our DEI Legal Developments Spotlight discusses recent DEI-related updates impacting the private sector and public sector developments that may provide insight into similar issues in the private sector. This installment highlights focuses on: For links to our past timelines, see HERE. For our last edition of DEI Legal Developments Spotlight, see HERE KEY DEVELOPMENTS April 15, 2026 (9th Cir. dismisses COVID vaccine-related lawsuit): A […]
ATTENTION NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS: NJDOL ISSUES FINAL WORKER CLASSIFICATION RULE—LEARN THE XYZ’s OF THE FINAL ABC RULE
On May 5, 2026, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced the adoption of its final rule clarifying the application of the state’s ABC test for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee under several state laws, including the NJ Wage & Hour Law and NJ Wage Payment […]
ATTENTION NEW JERSEY EMPLOYERS: NJDOL’s EMPLOYEE SEPARATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE NOW—YOUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO COMPLIANCE
We previously reported on the 2023 amendments to New Jersey’s Unemployment Compensation Law (see HERE). While the amendments caused some confusion and employers were, essentially, on pause to submit employee separation information, we want to alert employers that the state’s portal is now up and running to receive employee separation information. Please note that the information […]
MITIGATING LIABILITY UNDER THE NEW JERSEY LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION: NJ Appellate Division Provides Roadmap on Proper Worker Classification
On March 26, 2026, in Sanger v. Next Level Business Services, Inc., et al., the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed the dismissal of a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit finding that the plaintiff was an independent contractor and, therefore, could not invoke the broad protections of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD). The unpublished […]
Attention Employers: 2026 Restrictive Covenant Roundup—What’s the State of Non-competes in Your State?
EDIT to Virginia law referenced in “State Laws Effective in 2026 and Beyond”: Effective July 1, 2026, non-compete agreements will be unenforceable if the employer terminated the employee without cause and does not provide severance benefits or other monetary payment. The law will not invalidate agreements entered into, amended, or renewed prior to the effective […]