Compliance Stuff

Key Takeaways:   Employers preparing for the January 1, 2026, rollout of Delaware’s Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Program should review recent amendments to the Healthy Delaware Families Act. Among other things, the amendments prohibit employers from requiring employees to use employer-provided paid time off such as vacation or sick leave before using Paid Family Leave Insurance benefits.    Delaware enacted  House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 128,   amending the Healthy Delaware Families Act governing the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (PFMLA) on July 30, 2025. These changes, effective immediately, introduce new compliance obligations and clarify several aspects of the law that are particularly relevant for employers preparing for the program’s rollout.  Restrictions on Mandatory Use of Paid Time Off   The amendment prohibits employers from requiring employees to use accrued paid time off (PTO) before accessi...

As usual, the Illinois Legislature has been busy this past session, passing one new employment law and making changes to numerous others. The following is a summary of the changes that have been enacted thus far and a preview of those likely to come in the very near future. Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act – Paid Leave Required On August 1, 2025, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law  SB0212 , which is an amendment to the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Effective immediately, the Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time to an employee who needs to express breast milk each time the employee has the need, for one year after the child’s birth. The amendment to the Act provides that the employer shall compensate the employee during the break time at the employee’s regular rate of compensation, and shall not require the employee to use paid leave during the break time or reduce the employee’s compensation during the break time in any other manner. Employers wil...

  Quick Hits Significant new limitations on restrictive covenants with healthcare practitioners relating to noncompetition, nondisparagement, and nondisclosure took effect on June 9, 2025. Employers will soon be prohibited from asking an applicant’s age, date of birth, or date of graduation from any educational institution prior to an interview or conditional job offer. Starting in January 2026, striking workers will be eligible for up to ten weeks of unemployment benefits during a strike. Workplace Accommodations for Agricultural Workers (HB 2541) Governor Kotek signed  House Bill (HB) 2541  into law on May 7, 2025. Under HB 2541, certain agricultural workers must now be provided with the same accommodations for the expression of breast milk during work hours that have been provided to employees in other industries. Those accommodations include rest periods and a private location to express breast milk that is not a public restroom or toilet stall and that is in close pr...

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The Act  established new above-the-line tax deductions  for “qualified tips” and “qualified overtime compensation.” To facilitate these deductions, the Act requires employers to include on the Form W-2: (a) the total amount of cash tips reported by the employee, as well as the employee’s qualifying tipped occupation; and (b) the total amount of qualified overtime compensation . On August 7, 2025, the IRS  announced  that Form W-2 “will remain unchanged” for tax year 2025, leaving employers with no further information on how to comply with the Act’s reporting requirements.  Just one week later, however, the IRS  published  a draft of the 2026 W-2. Along with other changes associated with the Act, the form instructions direct employers to use Box 12 to report the employee’s “qualified tips” using code “TP” and “qualified overtime compensation” using code “TT.” Th...

When President Donald Trump sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., in recent months, some private employers faced unplanned leaves of absence. Here are some considerations for employers to keep in mind when employees take military leave. Quick Hits The Trump administration has deployed troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C ., in recent months, and the president has named four more cities where he intends to deploy troops. Employers must provide job-protected leave to service members who are called to military duty. Domestic deployments for natural disasters or other emergencies may impact private employers with regard to their staffing levels, compensation costs, and employee benefits administration. In June 2025, President Trump deployed about 4,700 National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to support federal immigration enforcement. On August 11, 2025, President Trump  deployed  about 800 National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C.,...