Compliance Stuff

The federal Stored Communications Act (SCA) protects the privacy of personal emails and social media accounts that employees may access with company-owned devices. It provides for both civil and potentially criminal penalties for violations. Quick Hits The federal Stored Communications Act prohibits employers from reading an employee’s personal emails and messages stored on third-party servers or networks. An employee or former employee might accidentally or unknowingly leave open apps or accounts with access to personal messages on a company-issued device. Employers need to balance workers’ privacy rights with business needs and company policies. Typically, when an employee voluntarily quits or is fired, the employer collects any laptops, phones, tablets, or other equipment owned by the employer. Employees often create bookmarks or links on these company-owned devices to their own email or other personal accounts. But what if at the time of termination an employee has inadvertently l...

A few weeks ago, I was on a Teams call with the head of business development at a mid-sized law firm. She showed me something that changed the way I think about AI adoption. She pulled up her LinkedIn feed, showing me two posts from her firm. The first, from a junior associate, showcased an AI-generated market analysis that had helped land a new client. The second was from a senior partner and the firm’s most successful rainmaker, celebrating another major win—complete with a photo of handwritten notes and coffee-stained legal pads. "Twenty years of relationship building, that's his secret weapon," pointing to the second post. " When I suggested using AI to analyze his client communication patterns and scale his approach, he told me 'You don't automate relationships.' The irony is, he's exactly the person whose insights we'd most want to scale." Her observation crystallized something I've been thinking about for months: The rainmaker'...

At a Glance 2026 may include an extra pay cycle for employers that pay biweekly. Now is the time for employers to examine their payroll practices and plan accordingly. Employers that pay their employees on a biweekly pay cycle often determine the amount of an employee’s biweekly salary by dividing their designated annual salary by 26, reasoning that there will be 26 pay cycles in a 52-week year. Makes sense, right? Not so fast! Once every 11 or 12 years, employers that pay biweekly will be faced with an unexpected payroll budget surprise – a 27th payday. For many employers, 2026 will be that year. How should an employer manage this unexpected payroll obligation? The Story of Acme, Inc. and Jane Doe To understand this issue fully, let us consider the example of Acme, Inc., which pays its employees on a biweekly basis. Acme’s designated workweek is Sunday through Saturday, and payday is the Friday following the end of each biweekly pay period. Acme pays Jane Doe an annual salary of $52,0...

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) just announced updated jurisdictional thresholds for two key federal affirmative action laws: the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 503). T hese changes, announced on November 25 and driven by the government’s latest inflation adjustments, took effect on October 1, 2025 . Since they may alter which employers are covered going forward, contractors should ensure they are familiar with the new standards – and have a gameplan going forward. Updated Thresholds The “jurisdictional thresholds” are the dollar and size cut‑offs that determine when OFCCP’s Section 503 and VEVRAA rules apply to a contractor.  Given last week’s announcement , the new standards are: Section 503:  The basic coverage threshold has increased from $15,000 to $20,000. VEVRAA:  The coverage threshold has increased from $150,000 to $200,000. These updates do not change t...