Beginning October 1, 2026, Maryland employers will face new restrictions on mandatory workplace meetings concerning religious and political matters, including union organizing.
The Maryland Worker Freedom Act, Senate Bill 417, prohibits employers from taking or threatening adverse action against an employee who declines to attend, participate in, or listen to an employer-sponsored meeting at
While many employers focus on January 1st as the primary date for wage and hour law changes, a significant number of state and local minimum wage increases took effect on July 1, 2026. Employers with employees in multiple jurisdictions should ensure payroll systems, wage notices, workplace posters, and compensation practices have been updated accordingly.
Maine employers will soon face new pay transparency obligations following the passage of LD 54, a law designed to increase wage transparency for job applicants and employees. The legislation takes effect on July 29, 2026, and introduces new requirements related to salary disclosures in job postings, employee pay information requests, and compensation record retention.
Employers
New Jersey has significantly expanded employee access to protected family leave through recent amendments to the New Jersey Family Leave Act (the “NJFLA”). The changes, which take effect on July 17, 2026, broaden both employer coverage and employee eligibility, allowing more workers to take protected leave to care for family members.
The amendments represent a
As of July 1, 2026, Indiana employers face significant new compliance obligations under Senate Bill 76, known as the “FAIRNESS Act.” The law establishes strict penalties for employers that knowingly or intentionally recruit, hire, or continue to employ individuals who are not authorized to work in the United States.
The legislation gives the Indiana Attorney
As of July 1, 2026, Virginia employers face significant changes to the Commonwealth’s wage-and-hour laws through the enactment of HB 238. This omnibus bill is a sweeping overhaul of Virginia’s wage-and-hour framework, and its reach is broad. HB 238 covers everything from how claims are pursued to what counts as wages and how the government
Employers in Maine should be aware of a new compliance requirement taking effect on July 14, 2026. Under LD 1587, employers that receive certain labor law violation notices from the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards (“Bureau”) will be required to notify affected employees and post notices in the workplace.
Expanded Enforcement Authority
The new
Illinois employers should be aware of a new leave entitlement that took effect on June 1, 2026. Under Public Act Public Act 104-0259, eligible employees whose child is receiving care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (“NICU”) are entitled to protected unpaid leave, creating new compliance obligations for employers across the state.
The law
On November 8, 2024, in Siren Retail Corp d/b/a Starbucks, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) tightened restrictions on what employers can say to workers about the impact of unionization. In making this ruling the NLRB overruled its 1985 decision in Tri-Cast, Inc., which held that most employers’ statements about the impact of