Compliance Stuff

It started as merely trying out artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Now, more and more employers (and their employees) are relying on AI for their everyday operations, including drafting emails and summaries, screening and ranking applicants, managing employee performance, and answering routine questions. This expanded role has changed AI from a casual acquaintance into a new “co-worker” that can influence employment decisions, outcomes, and experiences. Employers are reviewing AI tools, assessing risks and deciding which tools are authorized in their workplace and for what purpose. Courts and regulators are also reviewing AI tools more closely, focusing on discrimination, transparency, monitoring, and protection of confidential information. AI Is No Longer Just a Tool – It’s a ‘Co-Worker’ As AI becomes embedded in workflows, its role can be difficult for employees to distinguish from the input or output of employees. For example, an employer might not know that some resumes never rea...

A coalition of activist and labor groups is calling for a nationwide “no work, no school, no shopping” action on May 1 (International Workers’ Day) framed by some organizers as a general strike. Whether it reaches that scale remains to be seen. What employers need to know right now, however, is that you have certain rights and responsibilities when it comes to potential protest-related work stoppages, and these obligations turn on some nuances that you should be familiar with. Here is what you should know before May Day arrives, whether or not your workplace is unionized. What is Actually Being Planned? The  “May Day Strong” coalition  is urging workers, students, and community members to stay home from work, avoid school, and boycott shopping on May 1. Organizers are explicitly framing the action as a response to the current administration’s policies. Tactically, the call ranges from  full-day walkouts at places of employment  to symbolic absences and consumer boyc...

In its 2026 session, the Maryland General Assembly passed several significant pieces of legislation that, if enacted, will impact private employers in Maryland, including one that streamlines the process for bringing civil actions under county discrimination laws, several that bolster employee labor rights, and other bills that are more specific to a particular industry or public employees. 00:00 11:13 Quick Hits SB694  would establish that filing a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights satisfies the administrative prerequisites for bringing a civil action under county discrimination laws. SB831 /HB1480 would establish new civil penalties for child labor violations, prohibit the formation of certain workplace groups to address working conditions, and conditionally create a private sector state labor board. SB417 /HB45 would prohibit employers from conducting mandatory meetings on religious or political matters, which includes union organizing matters (e.g., “captiv...