Compliance Stuff

New York significantly expanded workers’ compensation benefits to include coverage of certain mental health-related injuries. As of January 1, 2025, the New York Workers’ Compensation Law provides that “all workers” who suffer “mental injury premised upon extraordinary work-related stress” may file for workers’ compensation benefits for specific types of mental health injuries . Although not much has been written about this change, it may be a significant amendment depending upon how the New York State Workers' Compensation Board and the courts interpret the phrase “extraordinary work-related stress.” To put it in context, mental health injuries are specifically covered to some extent by the workers’ compensation laws in 34 states, but seven states exclude coverage for mental health injuries. Previously, New York permitted recovery of mental injuries where the stressor was greater than that which other similarly situated workers experienced in their normal work environment.  With t...

The rules surrounding government agency use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) have changed. On April 3 rd , 2025, in accordance with  President Trump’s January 23 rd  Executive Order  regarding AI, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued  M-25-21  and  M-25-22 , reshaping how federal agencies must use, inventory, and buy AI technologies. These sweeping memoranda rescind and substitute the Biden-era OMB memos  M-24-10  and  M-24-18 , ushering in a full regulatory buildout that prioritizes US-developed AI, mandates risk assessments for AI that may have significant impacts on Americans, and introduces new source-selection and intellectual property (“IP”) language into Requests for Proposals (“RFPs”). M-25-21: How Agencies Must Use AI OMB Memorandum M-25-21 requires agencies to bring structure and transparency to how they use AI— not just in future programs, but  with AI tools currently in use as well .  By July 2 nd , 2...

At a Glance Amendments to Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law would extend job protection, address leave stacking, reduce claim duration, expand rights to health benefits continuation, impose notice requirements, and provide grants to small employers . Changes are slated to take effect on January 1, 2026, if the new amendment is funded in an appropriations bill.   Washington employers take note: Significant changes to the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML) law are on the horizon that will impact every employer in the Evergreen State. The bill amending the law,  HB 1213 , is complex with several components that are a mixed bag for employers. It will l essen the eligibility requirements for job protection, provide a mechanism for employers to count leave taken under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) against the total amount of WA PFML time qualifying for job protection, reduce the minimum claim duration, expand employee rights to h...

New Jersey’s far-reaching pay transparency law is about to take effect – is your business ready to comply? Starting June 1, covered employers, including certain businesses outside of the state, must disclose compensation and benefits information in job listings and for promotional opportunities. Here’s what you need to know about this new law, plus your six-step compliance plan. Snapshot of New Jersey’s New Pay Transparency Rules The  New Jersey Pay and Benefit Transparency Act  (NJPBTA) takes effect on  June 1 . Here are the key points you should know: Covered Employer s . The NJPBTA is far-reaching and will apply to employers with 10 or more employees over 20 calendar weeks that do business, employ workers, or take applications for employment within New Jersey .   This means that some businesses may be required to comply even if they are not physically located in New Jersey or do not have any employees located in the state .  For more on covered emp...

A number of employment-related laws recently passed in various states that impact the workplace will take effect on July 1, 2025. Quick Hits New state laws will impact minimum wage, leaves of absence, restrictive covenants, child labor, and other workplace issues. These laws will take effect on July 1, 2025. Here is a roundup briefly summarizing the new state laws: Alaska Ballot Measure 1  increases the minimum wage to $13.00 per hour , establishes paid sick leave, and prohibits employers from holding mandatory meetings to share political or religious opinions. Employers will be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave per thirty hours worked. In California, Los Angeles County passed a  Fair Workweek Ordinance , which includes predictive scheduling provisions. It requires employers to provide advance notice of schedule changes, premium pay for schedule changes, and rest time between shifts. It applies to retail businesses that have at least 300 employees worldwide. In a...