Compliance Stuff

Most employers are prepared for new laws at the start of each year – but did you know that a heap of new workplace laws take effect at the halfway point? Here’s your employer cheat sheet to prepare for all the new laws taking effect in July 2026 (July 1, unless otherwise noted). NOTE: This list should not be relied upon as a comprehensive source for any or all new laws taking effect across the country. Check with your FP attorney to determine whether the jurisdictions in which you operate have additional workplace law changes set to take effect on July 1. Alaska Statewide Minimum Wage Increase. Due to a ballot measure approved by voters in 2024, the minimum wage will increase again to $14 per hour. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Summary of Wage and Hour poster can be found here . Arkansas Arkansas Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. A law enacted last year ( HB 1717 ) will impose various data privacy and security requirements on covered opera...

On April 27, 2026, Bloomington, Minnesota repealed its Earned Sick and Safe Time Ordinance. As explained in the corresponding meeting agenda packet , “ the primary purpose of Bloomington’s ESST ordinance, to guarantee paid sick and safe time, has been fulfilled by the statewide law.”  Bloomington is the second Minnesota city to repeal its paid sick and safe leave ordinance due to the application of statewide standards . Rather than continuing to maintain a parallel framework, Duluth repealed its ordinance effective January 18, 2024, shortly after the state law took effect. As Bloomington’s meeting packet noted, “[s]tate law periodically changes.” Since Bloomington last amended its ordinance to align with state law, the state statute has been amended twice, and forthcoming state rules could further affect how the state law is interpreted. Accordingly, Bloomington’s ordinance did not fully align with state law and the city acknowledged that “significant staff time is needed to trac...

 The Minnesota Minimum Wage poster has been updated. The Minnesota Minimum Wage poster has been updated to reflect that employers must allow at least a 15-minute rest break within every four hours of consecutive work and at least a 30-minute meal break if a shift lasts six or more consecutive hours. This posting appears on the Minnesota Combination Poster. This is a mandatory change. Statutory language regarding this posting: Minnesota recently amended its meal and rest break requirements requiring employers to give employees 15-minute paid rest breaks for every four hours of work and a 30-minute meal break for employees who work six hours or more.  Posting Statute: ​MN Stat. § 177.31 Source(s): Minnesota Minimum Wage Poster Change . (2026, May 13). Complyright.com. https://laborlawchanges.complyright.com/2026/05/13/minnesota-minimum-wage-poster-change-12/ ‌

On March 23, 2026, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law a bill banning nearly all noncompete agreements for employees and independent contractors, e ffective June 30, 2027. The law, Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1155, declares that all “noncompetition agreements” are “void and unenforceable” after that date, and prohibits employers from enforcing such restrictions. 00:00 24:53 Quick Hits On March 23, 2026, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill into law that will ban noncompete agreements for employees and independent contractors. The law will declare all current employment-based and independent contractor-based “noncompetition agreements” to be void and unenforceable, and will prohibit employers from enforcing them. The law will prohibit entering into new employment-based and independent contractor-based noncompetition covenants. The ban will not apply to certain other restrictive covenants, including narrowly-drafted nonsolicitation agreements. The law takes effect ...