State Employment Law Articles

As we move into 2026, California employers face a series of important compliance deadlines. One that deserves timely attention is the new notice requirement imposed by Senate Bill 294 (“SB 294”), which mandates that employers

Takeaways

TakeawaysRhode Island’s amended Payment of Wages law requires employers to provide written notice to each employee at the start of employment.The notice must include the employee’s pay, allowances, deductions, pay schedule, and employment status, as well as the employer’s name, address, and contact

Senate Bill (SB) 596 represents asignificant development for California general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals. Governor Newsom signed SB 596 into law on October 13, 2025, amending California’s Health and Safety Code § 1280.3 to expand civil penalties for ce

Effective October 1, 2025, Maryland House Bill 895, titled the Employment and Insurance Equality for Service Members Act broadens the definition of “Uniformed Services” to include not only the Armed Forces, but also the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atm

Under a new law, employer-sponsored health plans will not be able to require employees to use—or give them financial incentives to use—pharmacies owned or controlled by their pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), but will stand to receive 100 percent of the rebates received by a PBM or an affiliated reba

Testing and assessment are central to forensic vocational evaluations, yet many reports contain flawed or outdated practices that can be misleading.

California Employers, Heads Up: Senate Bill 513 Just Changed the Rules on Personnel Files Senate Bill (SB) 513, now law, quietly but significantly expands what California employers must track in personnel files and share with employees. What’s New Under SB 513? SB 513 amends Labor Code Section 1198.

California Expands Paid Family Leave Eligibility to “Designated Persons” Following California’s 2023 expansion of job-protected, unpaid family medical leave and paid sick and safe time and its 2025 expansion of job-protected, unpaid leave for victims of violence to include use for a “designated pers

Paid sick leave and family leave laws in California continue to expand at a rapid pace. In this episode, Jen reviews the latest changes to the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (expanded sick leave accrual and usage), the California Family Rights Act’s broadened definition of “designated pers

Massachusetts High Court Holds That Retention Bonuses Fall Outside the Scope of the Wage Act In Nunez v. Syncsort Incorporated (October 22, 2025), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that retention bonuses are not “wages” for purposes of the Massachusetts Wage Act. As a result, employees m

California’s leave and accommodation landscape is expanding again in 2026 — and employers should start preparing now. With new legislation broadening when employees can take time off and heightened enforcement priorities under the Fair Employment

Last month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed several new laws that will take effect in 2026. Here are the most important changes employers need to know.

Employees in California who are victims of violence—and their family members who are victims—now have expanded leave protections when they seek legal, medical, mental health, or safety planning services. The new law, Assembly Bill (AB) 406 , which Governor Gavin Newsom signed on October 1, 2025, and

California continues to lead the nation in pay equity enforcement, and new requirements are reshaping employer obligations. In this episode, Jen breaks down SB 1162 and other recent legislation requiring employers to post pay scales in job ads, disclose pay ranges internally, and file detailed pay d

Takeaways

TakeawaysNondiscrimination provisions covering employment, housing and public accommodations take effect 12.23.25.Joining a state trend to fill perceived gaps in state and federal protections, the ordinance expands protections based on gender identity, gender expression, and more.The new Chester Cou

TakeawaysMajor employer obligations affected by new laws include pay reporting, worker rights and leave entitlements.Employers will have to review and update workplace policies and procedures to be compliant with the latest legislative changes.To ensure updates are properly implemented, employers sh