Compliance Stuff

Overview State legislatures continue to reevaluate the role of employee non-compete agreements, with 2026 shaping up to be another consequential year in the ongoing movement to restrict or eliminate their use. Current pending legislation reflects two dominant strategies: (1) bans on non-compete agreements either entirely or limited to specific industries and (2) increasing wage thresholds that condition enforceability on exceptionally high compensation levels. This alert only focuses on legislation that proposes an outright ban to non-compete agreements or imposes new or increased wage thresholds. Although details vary significantly by jurisdiction, the cumulative effect of these legislative efforts is a steady contraction of the circumstances in which non-competes are likely to remain enforceable. Further, the patchwork of state-level enforcement means employers operating across multiple states must closely track these developments and continually reassess their approach to restrictiv...

New Hampshire employees will ring in the new year with several new workplace protections and leave rights – and employers should be ready to comply. Starting January 1, new laws will go into effect broadening protections for military families, establishing unpaid newborn leave entitlements, and expanding veteran hiring preference practices. Employers should review and update handbooks, policies, and internal procedures now to stay ahead of the game. Here’s what you need to know about these new rules and how to prepare. Unpaid Childbirth-Related Leave (HB 2) New Hampshire has introduced a new category of unpaid, job-protected childbirth and pediatric appointment leave for employers with 20 or more employees. Compared to job-protected leave requirements under the FMLA, this law applies to smaller businesses and does not have a minimum service requirement. HB2 allows employees to take up to 25 hours of unpaid leave within the first year following a child’s birth or adoption to attend me...

As employers keep their eye on compliance, below are some notable employment law changes that will be effective in the coming months. Arkansas   Effective August 4, 2025 -  Senate Bill 598  (S.B. 598) requires an employer or agency charged with determining the employment status of an individual to use the method proscribed under the Internal Revenue Service Code, as it existed on Jan. 1, 2025 , in making its determination . Employers and agencies charged with determining the employment status of an individual can no longer use or rely on state law to make this determination.    California Effective January 1, 2026,  Senate Bill 648  (S.B. 648) permits California's labor commissioner to investigate employers and issue citations for tip theft. The legislation subjects employers to investigation if they take or withhold any portion of an employee's tips, including failure to pay tips in timely manner (by the next regular payday). Employers found gui...

Effective Jan. 1, 2026 , Granite State employers with at least 20 employees must provide employees with up to 25 hours of unpaid leave to attend medical appointments associated with childbirth, postpartum care, and their infant’s medical appointments within the first year of the child’s birth or adoption. This new leave obligation appears in a broader piece of legislation,  HB 2 , an act “relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures,” which was signed into law on June 27, 2025. Subject to the 25-hour limit, covered employers may not deny employees’ leave requests to attend their “own medical appointments for childbirth, postpartum care, or the employee’s child’s pediatric medical appointments within the first year of the child’s birth or adoption.” The law allows an employee to substitute any accrued vacation time or other appropriate paid leave for unpaid childbirth-related leave. Employees must provide reasonable notice to the employer prior to the leave and make a ...

  States and cities are as busy as ever passing new workplace regulations throughout the calendar year. Here is our mid-year report summarizing the notable labor and employment laws that take effect from roughly July through October.  New Hampshire Bill / Ordinance / Regulation Main Topic Summary Effective Date New Hampshire HB 358 Lactation Accommodation Requires employers to provide access to space and reasonable break periods for employees to express breast milk during work hours. 7/1/2025 This article provides a general snapshot of generally applicable labor and employment laws taking effect soon. Please note that while some of the laws listed below are industry-specific, this article is not meant to be all-inclusive. In addition, many state legislatures are still active, so new laws are taking effect on a near-daily basis. Littler monitors federal, state and local legislation, executive orders, and administrative regulations and other agency activity that impact the labor...

A number of employment-related laws recently passed in various states that impact the workplace will take effect on July 1, 2025. Quick Hits New state laws will impact minimum wage, leaves of absence, restrictive covenants, child labor, and other workplace issues. These laws will take effect on July 1, 2025. Here is a roundup briefly summarizing the new state laws: Alaska Ballot Measure 1  increases the minimum wage to $13.00 per hour , establishes paid sick leave, and prohibits employers from holding mandatory meetings to share political or religious opinions. Employers will be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave per thirty hours worked. In California, Los Angeles County passed a  Fair Workweek Ordinance , which includes predictive scheduling provisions. It requires employers to provide advance notice of schedule changes, premium pay for schedule changes, and rest time between shifts. It applies to retail businesses that have at least 300 employees worldwide. In a...