Mexico’s New Digital ID Mechanism: Labor and Employment Implications
California’s Workplace Violence Prevention Law Turns Two, Part 1: Compliance Insights and Emerging Trends (Podcast)
In the first part of this two-part podcast series, Karen Tynan (shareholder, Sacramento) and Robert Rodriguez (shareholder, Sacramento), who are co-chairs of Ogletree’s Workplace Violence Prevention Practice Group, review the first year of Cal/OSHA enforcement of California’s SB 553 workplace violence prevention law. Karen, who is also chair of the
OSHA’s Heat Program to Expire While Heat Standard Stalls
As summer 2026 approaches, employers face a period of significant regulatory uncertainty regarding workplace heat illness prevention at the federal level due to two important developments: the imminent expiration of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Heat National Emphasis Program (NEP) on April 8, 2026, and the stalled progress
Firms May Avoid DOJ Prosecution With Voluntary Self-Reporting
On March 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new policy to encourage companies to invest in their compliance programs and self-report violations. The Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy provides a pathway for companies to avoid criminal prosecution in certain circumstances.
Illinois High Court Rules on Pre- and Post-Shift Wage and Hour Exclusion
A recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Illinois that the state’s minimum wage law does not incorporate the federal Portal-to-Portal Act’s (PPA) exclusion for “preliminary or postliminary” employee activities could open the door to a wave of new wage-and-hour lawsuits by employees over time spent undergoing health or security
California Bill Would Expand Background Check Restrictions for Employers
Legislation recently introduced in the California State Assembly would impose new restrictions on when and how employers with five or more employees may inquire about, obtain, and use applicant conviction history, while strengthening procedural protections.
Massachusetts Federal Court Halts ACTS Survey in Seventeen States
On April 3, 2026, A federal court in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey against public institutions in seventeen plaintiff states for the duration of the litigation, finding that the survey was likely adopted in
Massachusetts PFMLA and the Scope of Employer-Only Liability
In a ruling that provides important early guidance on the reach of the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA), a Suffolk Superior Court judge in the Business Litigation Session has held that the PFMLA’s anti-retaliation protections apply only to “employers” and do not extend to individual employees of
Payroll Brass Tax: Real-Time Pay, Real-Time Compliance (Podcast)
In this installment of our Payroll Brass Tax podcast series, Mike Mahoney (Morristown/New York) and Stephen Kenney (Dallas) explore the payroll and employment tax implications of on-demand pay, also known as earned wage access (EWA), and how real-time payment systems like the Federal Reserve’s FedNow service are accelerating its adoption.
Connecticut 2026 Employment Law Update: Time for Some Spring Cleaning
It may already be April, but Connecticut employers still have several “new year” compliance updates to address. As spring approaches, now is a good time to dust off employee handbooks and make sure 2026 changes are fully implemented.
Home Health Company’s Overtime Settlement: A Cautionary Tale for Healthcare Employers With ‘Program Managers’
A Columbus, Ohio–area home health services company recently agreed to pay $975,000 to resolve a collective action alleging it misclassified its program managers as exempt from overtime pay. The case may serve as a cautionary reminder for healthcare employers about the risks of classifying frontline supervisors as exempt.
New Jersey Employment Legislation Update 2026
Just two months into New Jersey’s 2026 legislative session, state lawmakers are advancing a slate of bills that could have significant implications for employers, including several new employment protections related to pregnancy and lactation, in addition to expanding family and sick leave and broadening protections under the New Jersey Law
Zero Tolerance in Canada: Alcoholism Is Not a Shield Against Dismissal
The Superior Court of Québec recently rendered a decision arising in the heavy vehicle transportation sector that should capture the attention of any employer maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol or drug consumption.
AB 2321 Would Require Workplace Accident Investigation Referrals to District Attorneys
Assembly Member Liz Ortega (D–District 20), chair of the California State Assembly’s Committee on Labor and Employment, recently introduced Assembly Bill (AB) No. 2321, legislation that would amend the California Labor Code to require local district attorneys to take an earlier and more prominent role in investigating workplace fatalities and
The Limits of April Fools’ Pranks in the German Workplace
April Fools’ jokes are one of the annual joys of being an employer. But where does the fun end—and where does a breach of employment contract obligations, a violation of personal rights, and a breach of compliance rules begin? In this article, we examine the tradition of April Fools’ jokes