The Beltway Buzz™ is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business.
Archives for December 14, 2025
Columbus, Ohio, Enacts New Pay Transparency Ordinance Requiring Salary Ranges in Job Postings
The city of Columbus, Ohio, recently enacted an ordinance that will require most employers to provide reasonable, good-faith estimates of a position’s wages or salary in job postings. The ordinance makes Columbus at least the fourth major municipality in Ohio to require some form of wage or salary disclosure to
2025 ERISA Litigation: Forfeitures, Investments, Health Plans Take Center Stage
ERISA class action litigation did not let up in 2025. Retirement plan fee litigation – which has dominated for several years – remained steady, with new, or in some cases refined, theories targeting 401(k) forfeitures and stable value fund performance. Additionally, this year saw a boom in litigation surrounding tobacco surcharges and continued litigation concerning… Continue Reading
Justice Department Erases Disparate Impact Liability From Title VI Enforcement Regulations
On December 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a final rule removing liability for disparate impact discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This rule applies to recipients of federal funding, including state and local government agencies, nonprofits, schools, and government contractors.
2026 State and Major Locality Minimum Wage Updates
Nineteen states, plus several major localities, will increase their minimum wage rates in the new year. The chart below lists state and certain major locality minimum wage increases for January 2026—and future dates, if already published and available—along with any related changes in the minimum cash wage for tipped employees
How Colleges Can Shape Opportunity In The Workforce Pell Era
How Workforce Pell and OECD skills data are reshaping noncredit education, short-term credentials, and college-to-career strategy in higher education
USCIS Widens Freeze on Immigration Benefits for Nationals of 19 Countries: Employers Should Expect Delays Across Multiple Categories
Key Takeaways
In addition to reviewing green cards for nationals of 19 designated countries, USCIS is now pausing a wide range of immigration benefits, including EADs, H-1Bs, I-140s and status extensions. USCIS has confirmed its Dec. 2 policy memo, which listed only a narrow set of applications, was not
Policy Week in Review – December 12, 2025
Policy Week in Review – December 12, 2025
President Trump Signs Executive Order to Limit State Regulation of Artificial Intelligence
tgelbman@littler.com Fri, 12/12/2025 – 13:34
Creative workers won’t be replaced by AI, they will become ‘directors’ managing AI agents
AI agents are taking over some routine creative tasks, but executives say the shift will transform workers into “directors” who delegate to AI.
President Trump Signs EO to Stop State and Local Regulation of AI
On December 11, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) seeking to stop local U.S. jurisdictions from enacting laws or regulations restricting the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, asserting that fragmented regulation could impede the United States’ competitiveness in this space. The order, which comes
Employment Regulatory Recap: 2025
Employment Regulatory Recap: 2025
As 2026 approaches, many employers have been familiarizing themselves with new laws addressing everything from protected leaves to required employee notices and benefits offerings. Employers should also be aware of regulatory updates, which further clarify or add to their obligations under the law and can carry
Disabled Talent Could Be The Answer To America’s Workforce Crisis
If the U.S. wants to rebuild at the scale required, more semiconductors, more grid upgrades, more AI innovation, it must widen the talent pool.
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
Demand for disability accommodations is skyrocketing as Gen Z faces intensifying mental-health pressures and experiments with new routes to success.
Leave Laws on the Rise: Sick Leave, CFRA, and Paid Family Leave Updates Workplace Wake-Up with Jen Shaw
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…
The Biggest Mistake Bosses Make When Delegating
Too many managers take a hands-off approach, and then get frustrated when things go awry. There is a better way