State Employment Law Articles

Chicago Agency Proposes Changes to Fair Workweek Rules The Chicago Office of Labor Standards (OLS) has proposed changes to the rules implementing the city’s Fair Workweek Ordinance.1 The Ordinance requires covered employers to provide advance notice of work schedules to their covered employees, and

With its new Democratic majority, Virginia’s legislature is moving rapidly to fulfill campaign promises to reshape the Commonwealth’s employment landscape, and perhaps further modify its business-friendly reputation as a result. Among these, newly-elected Governor Abigail Spanberger is likely to sig

On March 23, 2026, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law a bill banning nearly all noncompete agreements for employees and independent contractors, effective June 30, 2027. The law, Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1155, declares that all “noncompetition agreements” are “void and unenforceable

Washington Bans Noncompetes—and Most Training Repayment Agreements With Them On March 23, 2026, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155 (ESHB 1155), implementing an extensive noncompetition prohibition in Washington State. Beginning June 30, 2027, all noncompetit

Workplace violence in healthcare is not a new issue, but it is an escalating one. In response, Utah has taken a significant step with the passage and enactment of House Bill (H.B.) 380 , a law aimed at better understanding and ultimately reducing violence against healthcare workers.

Introduced by Assembly Member Nick Schultz on February 12, 2026, Assembly Bill 1898 (AB 1898) would impose significant new notice and transparency obligations on California employers that use AI-powered tools to manage workers or make employment-related decisions. If signed into law, this bill would

The Supreme Court of California recently granted review of Lorenzo v. San Francisco Zen Center ( A171659 / S294565 ), a case examining whether religious organizations are exempt from California wage-and-hour laws under the First Amendment’s ministerial exception. The court will review whether “the m

Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Law Could Be on the Chopping Block When he signed Colorado’s artificial intelligence law (SB 24-205, the “Act”) into law, Colorado Governor Jared Polis told the Colorado General Assembly, by letter, that he did so “with reservations.” Polis criticized the Act for “

Costa Mesa has passed an ordinance that regulates staffing for grocery and drug retailers that operate self-checkout stations. The measure requires employee staffing and supervision of self-checkout, restricts certain transactions at self-checkout, and requires customer signage. It is similar to an

Every once in a while, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board publishes a Decision After Reconsideration that makes employers wince and leaves attorneys scratching their heads. On March 12, 2026, the Appeals Board did just that when it issued KPRS Construction Services, Inc. , t

On March 14, 2026, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill (House Bill (HB) 4009) to allow employers to contribute to a worker’s portable benefit account while still classifying that worker as an independent contractor. The bill is likely to be especially impactful for rideshare and food deliver

Oregon made labor history in 2025 when Governor Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 916, making Oregon the first state to extend unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to both public and private sector workers participating in strikes. We previewed this development last year, and the law took effect January

On March 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a ruling reviving a white male police officer’s racial and religious discrimination lawsuit that alleged he was denied the role of police chief in favor of a lower-ranked candidate, and said it expects that New Jersey

Washington Updates Paid Family and Medical Leave Premium Split to Align with Federal Tax Guidance On March 11, 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Second Substitute House Bill 2345 (HB 2345). The new law revises how the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) premium requirements are allocate

On March 17, 2026, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed legislation ( Engrossed Senate Bill (ESB) 6106 ) that amends the state’s analogue of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act by changing the definition of “employer” and adjusting the notice requirements to

Third Circuit Ames to Level Playing Field for Reverse Discrimination Claimants under New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination Since 1990, the New Jersey Supreme Court has held “majority-group” discrimination plaintiffs – those alleging they have been discriminated against in favor of member of a mino

In this podcast, Kevin Bland (shareholder, Orange County) sits down with Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento), who is chair of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group, to discuss Cal/OSHA’s February 2026 proposed rulemaking on walkaround inspections, which would significantly expand w

Think your payroll provider has wage-and-hour covered? Think again. From regular rate miscalculations to meal period premium errors and bonus mistakes, the most common violations are hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Jen walks through the technical payroll-related traps that still trip up Cali

On January 13, 2026, the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, issued a published decision in Tuufuli v. West Coast Dental Administrative Services, LLC , affirming a trial court’s order compelling arbitration of an employee’s individual claims and dismissing her class claims against

Beginning January 1, 2027, carriers and self-insured employers in New York State may provisionally pay for medical care without admitting liability