Compliance Stuff

Kansas is the latest among a growing number of states to attempt to limit non-competes in the healthcare industry. Senate Bill 504, introduced by state Sen. Michael Murphy (R), aims to prohibit post-employment non-compete agreements, increasing employment mobility and patient access. I f enacted, SB 504 would apply to all agreements entered into, renewed, amended, or extended on or after July 1, 2026. The bill would also void existing agreements with prohibited restrictions. Here’s what you need to know about the pending legislation and how it could impact your business if it is ultimately signed into law. Recent Limits on Restrictive Covenants Over the past year, several states – including Arkansas,  Colorado , Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon,  Texas , and Wyoming – enacted new laws banning or limiting restrictive covenants for healthcare professionals (though each jurisdiction’s restrictions are slightly different).   Missouri  lawmakers have recently pro...

As Massachusetts employers look ahead to 2026, the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has released its annual updates to the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program . While the maximum weekly benefit will increase, the contribution rate remains steady. Here’s a breakdown of the key changes that take effect on January 1, plus three action items for employers. Maximum Weekly Benefit Increase Starting January 1, the maximum weekly PFML benefit employees may receive will be $1,230.39 per week, reflecting the state’s annual adjustment to keep pace with the statewide average weekly wage. This represents a modest increase from the $1,170.64 cap in 2025. For employees, this means greater wage replacement during covered leave periods. For employers with private PFML plans, this means ensuring plan benefits remain “equal to or greater than” the state program to maintain approval. Steady Contribution Rate Also effective January 1, the contribution rate on eligible employee wages w...

The California Privacy Protection Agency, the state’s main data privacy regulator, just announced its largest fine yet – a record-setting $1.35 million – against an employer that it found to have violated job applicant and consumer privacy rights . Today’s announcement marks the first-ever enforcement action involving job applicants, kicking off a new chapter when it comes to the way employers need to think about the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). If you collect information from California job applicants, employees, or consumers, you will want to review our summary of this groundbreaking news and follow our six-step action plan. What Happened? The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) launched its investigation against Tractor Supply, the nation’s largest rural lifestyle retailer, after it received a solitary complaint from a consumer in Placerville, CA. It is not publicly known whether this consumer was a job applicant, employee, website user, retail customer, or other...

  Colorado employers should be aware of a recent enforcement uptick regarding online job posting rules – especially since missteps can result in huge fines up to $10,000 per violation.   The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EPEWA) requires employers to include detailed information about pay, benefits, and application logistics in their job postings. These requirements have been in place since 2021 and all Colorado employers should have already incorporated them into the hiring process.  Unfortunately, however, employers may not realize that not just job seekers but the government can search their job postings – and that enforcement efforts are rising.  Given the   high stakes for violations, now is a great time to review your job postings for compliance and curb the potential for costly errors . Here are the answers to your top five compliance questions.   1. What Counts As a Posting? The EPEWA’s requirements apply to postings for any “job opportunity...

In another major shift for workplaces, President Trump issued an executive order yesterday with huge implications for employment discrimination claims. For decades, employers could face liability for policies and practices that didn’t intentionally discriminate but had a “disparate impact” on a group of job applicants or employees based on a protected characteristic, such as race or sex. The president is now aiming “to eliminate the use of disparate impact liability in all contexts to the maximum degree possible.” Although courts nationwide apply the disparate impact theory of liability in employment discrimination claims – and the law hasn’t changed yet – we expect federal agencies to immediately halt related enforcement activities and take steps to influence broader reform. Here’s what employers need to know about this development and how it may impact your practices.  Understanding Discrimination Claims Disparate Treatment:  As you likely know, employers cannot intentional...

  President Donald Trump is just 21 days into his second term in office, but you might already be struggling to keep up with the number of changes and policy shifts coming from the new administration. While new presidents are typically judged based on their actions in their first 100 days, Trump’s whirlwind first three weeks warrant taking a pause to make sure you’re caught up on all the changes impacting key workplace issues. Major policy shifts have already affected immigration, DEI programs, equal employment opportunity, labor relations, and artificial intelligence. Here’s your 21-day recap: 1. Immigration What happened?  President Trump  took swift immigration action , signing 10 executive orders relating to immigration policy on day one. Among other things, those orders  declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border ,  reinstated the "remain in Mexico" policy and terminated the asylum-related mobile app , and  designated Mexican criminal car...