State Employment Law Articles

As we wind down 2025, here are some of the changes California employers need to be aware of to be prepared in 2026. State Law California SB 596: Increases Penalties for Healthcare Staffing Ratio Violations Senate Bill 20: California Expands Worker Protections Against Silica Dust Exposure Senate Bill

Illinois employers would need to provide notice to employees and prospective employees when artificial intelligence (AI) is used “to influence or facilitate” hiring or promotion decisions under new draft regulations unveiled by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) to implement the state’s

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Puerto Rico Supreme Court Rules Non-Resident Bond Is Incompatible with Act 2 Summary Employment Proceedings In Jack Javier Slim v. Royal Blue Hospitality, LLC H/N/C El Conquistador Resort-Puerto Rico , 2025 TSPR 133, 216 D.P.R. ___, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court held that the non-resident bond requi

Takeaways

On December 15, 2025, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, issued a published decision in Contreras v. Green Thumb Produce, Inc. , reversing a trial court’s grant of judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV) in favor of the employer defendant in a whistleblower retaliation an

On December 5, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld President Donald Trump’s removal of former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Gwynne Wilcox and former Merit Systems Protections Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris, finding that the president has the p

On December 12, 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that will require hospitals and nursing homes in the state to establish workplace violence prevention programs to protect healthcare workers, patients, residents, and visitors, and will require hospitals to conduct annual wo

On December 11, 2025, the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, issued a partially published decision in Dieves v. Butte Sand Trucking Company involving a truck driver’s claims against his former employers for alleged violations of California labor law. The appellate court affirmed i

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s recent consolidated decision in Harris v. Bessent and Wilcox v. Trump , holding that members of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are not insulated by statutory for-cause removal protec

Takeaways Illinois employers may not rely solely on SSA “no-match,” IRS discrepancy notices, or similar third-party notifications to take disciplinary or termination action. Employers must meet strict notice, timing, and communication requirements, including providing employees an opportunity to res

Los Angeles County has enacted a new ordinance that permanently extends and updates worker recall and retention rights for certain employees, building on protections first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance, effective November 6, 2025, amends the Los Angeles County Code to provid

Some Place or Another: Nevada Supreme Court Expands Reach of Nevada’s Luring Statute Enacted in 1967, Nevada’s “employment-luring” statute prohibits employers from inducing, influencing, persuading, or engaging prospective employees to “change from one place or another in this state” or to “bring wo

On November 4, 2025, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA Standards Board) filed its adopted revisions to regulations on construction safety orders for confined spaces . The Office of Administrative Law (OAL) recently approved the regulatory text at Title 8 CCR §§

Los Angeles hospitality employers should be aware of an update regarding the Hotel Worker Training Ordinance. The City has released its list of Certified Public Housekeeping Training Organizations (PHTOs), and beginning December 1, 2025, covered hotels must provide paid public housekeeping training

Illinois Expands Employee Privacy Rights On December 12, 2025, Illinois took a significant step to strengthen employee protections related to work authorization by enacting Senate Bill 2339 . Given the increase in federal immigration enforcement, the state of Illinois adopted this measure to redefin

Pay equity is getting a major upgrade in 2026. SB 642 redefines “wages,” extends protections to non-binary employees, and tightens job-posting rules. Jen explains how these changes expand employer liability — and how to prepare your pay data before the March reporting deadline.

In New York, several laws were passed in 2025 that will directly impact how many employers must operate. This article summarizes some of the new state and city laws impacting employers, which address time off for prenatal care and other health and safety needs, new protections for retail and fashion